Bassam Hamzy’s prison MMA tournament rejected by Corrective Services NSW

Crime boss Bassam Hamzy made a formal request to run mixed martial arts fights inside Supermax prison using some of the state’s worst criminals as fighters.

One of the country’s most notorious criminals tried to set up a televised mixed martial arts fight between prisoners at the Supermax prison.

Crime boss Bassam Hamzy, who is serving 40 years for murder and running a violent drug empire — made a formal application to prisons boss Peter Severin stating his case as to why he and his fellow ­inmates at the state’s most high ­security prison should be allowed to face off in the octagon.

Yesterday, a Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman confirmed the request was made in August 2020 but was knocked back.

Hamzy’s multiple appeals against Mr Severin’s refusal were also rejected.

If his proposal was approved, sources said Hamzy then planned to offer Mr Severin an additional sweetener — Corrective Services NSW could sell the broadcast rights to the fights to a TV outlet and ­donate the money to charity.

Bassam Hamzy made a formal proposal to hold a mixed marital arts tournament inside Supermax Jail.

Brothers For Life Blacktown chapter leader Farhad Qaumi could be a contender. Picture: Supplied

TV industry insiders said the fascination of watching feared criminals like Hamzy face off would generate huge public interest and the starting price for the broadcast rights would conservatively start at around $100,000.

One underworld source said the fighting exhibition made sense.

“If the prisoners are going to fight, they will find a way,” the source said. “So what’s better? Letting them get it out of their system in a controlled environment with a referee? Or the status quo where someone could get shivved in a sneak attack.”

Also known as the High Risk Management Unit, Supermax opened in 2001 to house the state’s most dangerous criminals.

Former Brothers For Life gang leader Farhad Qaumi is serving a 60 year sentence at the prison for a crime spree that included the 2013 assassination of underworld figure Joe Antoun.

Gang rapist Bilal Skaf and murderer Malcolm Naden are also inmates. Prior to his death, so was serial killer Ivan Milat. Despite having the most onerous security of any jail in NSW, fights between ­inmates are not uncommon.

Potential main event: CCTV vision of a brawl between Bassam Hamzy and Talal Alameddine inside Supermax in October 2018.

In 2019, CCTV footage emerged showing Hamzy brawling with Talal Alameddine inside the jail in a fight that insiders said Hamzy eventually won.

Alameddine is serving 17 years for supplying the gun used to ­execute Curtis Cheng in the Parramatta Police Headquarters terror attack. It is understood the brawl and a chance for another fight with Alameddine is what motivated Hamzy to make the proposal.

The Telegraph contacted Hamzy’s lawyer Zali Burrows to confirm this but she declined to comment. Hamzy has also brawled with another man, who cannot ­legally be named, but is in Supermax for shooting Hamzy’s aunt.

Qaumi allegedly stabbed ­another inmate after becoming ­suspicious the inmate was assisting police.

Fox Sports executive director Steve Crawley said there was no doubt such a fighting tournament would attract a huge audience for pay per view services like Main Event, but the ethics of broadcasting it were challenging to justify.

“Yes we would most definitely be interested, “Mr Crawley said. “It’s got great sport potential and great entertainment potential … (but) I can understand why the prisons have knocked it back in not wanting to make criminals into stars.”

Originally published as Bassam Hamzy’s prison MMA tournament rejected by Corrective Services NSW