Australia: former UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian shot dead in Sydney

The MMA world is in mourning. Suman Mokhtarian, a former mixed martial arts fighter who competed in the UFC between 2018 and 2019, was shot dead Wednesday night in Riverstone, a residential neighborhood known for being peaceful. According to the New South Wales Police, the 33-year-old was targeted while walking in the street.

Emergency services rushed to the scene but could only confirm his death. Shortly after the shooting, two vehicles were found burned out in different parts of the city, a modus operandi that, according to investigators, matches gangland-style settling of scores linked to organized crime.

“This is a brazen and shameful attack,” Superintendent Jason Joyce said. “Residents should be able to walk safely in their neighborhood at this time of night.” According to several Australian media outlets, Mokhtarian had already survived an assassination attempt last February, when an armed man opened fire on him as he left a gym in western Sydney.

A former fighter turned trainer, Mokhtarian was a respected figure in the Australian MMA scene. He was known for his commitment to young athletes and his role in developing new talent, reports ESPN.

Witnesses to the shooting described a scene of panic. “We heard a huge bang, then thick smoke,” a resident told the Sydney Morning Herald. “It was unreal, especially with children still outside at that hour.” Another local resident, quoted by ABC News, said she had tried to help the victim before emergency services arrived, without success.

The shooting comes one day after Sydney police arrested a group suspected of preparing a murder, armed with weapons, balaclavas and gasoline cans. Investigators are now trying to determine whether the two cases are linked. Police have opened an investigation and are urging anyone with information to come forward.