Former UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian gunned down in ‘brazen’ broad daylight shooting in Sydney’s west
A prominent Australian MMA figure has been gunned down while walking on a suburban street in Sydney’s west.
Former UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian has been shot dead while walking on a suburban street in Sydney’s west in a “brazen” and “targeted” daylight attack.
The professional fighter turned coach was killed at the intersection of two residential streets in Riverstone, north of The Ponds, around 6pm on Wednesday.
Paramedics rushed to the scene, treating Mokhtarian, 33, who had gunshot wounds to his torso, but could not save him. He died at the scene.
Mokhtarian survived an attempt on his life in February last year, when a shooter, who was disguised as a food delivery driver, repeatedly shot at him outside the Australian Top Team gym he owns with his brother Ashkan.
In April, NSW Police cancelled a ‘Dark Matter Fighting Championship’ event where he was set to coach several fighters, due to police believing he was set to be the target of another potential hit.
Police are also investigating if two seperate car fires at nearby Riverstone Road and Mattias Street are linked to the shooting which killed Mokhtarian.
A red Audi and a white van were destroyed in the blazes and three crime scenes were established.
Suman Mokhtarian’s eerie The Ultimate Fighter interview
Appearing on the hit TV show The Ultimate Fighter in 2018 - a show that pits professional fighters from around the world against one another in a bid to win the tournament and a UFC contract - Suman revealed that both he and his brother were heading down the wrong path before finding MMA.
“I got into the sport through my brother. I had a lot of friends who trained in MMA in Sydney. My brother had a few problems, and he was having a rough time, and he wanted to prove me wrong by saying he could become a fighter,” he said in the cast interview.
“I doubted him, and look where we are now. I took him to his first gym to try and put him in his place and he was motivated to prove me wrong, and he did, and his motivation got me into it.
“I saw him fix himself up and rebuild himself and rebuild his character, become a good father and a good man and a good older brother so it inspired me and I helped him and then when I was falling down that wrong track he slapped me into place and he got me into it and I am here now and I can’t thank my brother enough.”
You can watch his eerie comments in the player at the top of the page.
His brother Ashkan ‘The Assassin’ Mokhtarian has also been out of the sport since 2019.
Like his brother Suman, he went 0-2 in the UFC. He then had one fight for Australian MMA promotion HEX, which he lost by decision in 109.
But he then got in trouble with the law, arrested on a string of drug charges that derailed his MMA career.
Ashkan was arrested in 2023 and has been in jail since.
Police investigate Mokhtarian’s death
On Wednesday night, Police Superintendent Jason Joyce told reporters it is still too early to tell if the attack was linked to organised crime.
“It was very brazen and it’s a shame that this has happened in our community,” he said.
“But we do believe it’s a targeted attack.
“My heart goes out to the family of this victim.”
“Police established a crime scene and commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident,” a police statement read.
However, on Thursday morning, 2GB reported that police are treating the shooting as a targeted gangland execution.
Police Superintendent Jason Joyce told 2GB’s Ben Fordham show that the shooting was a “harrowing experience” for those in the area.
“We’ve got a number of lines of inquiry that we’re still following,” he said.
Police have not publicly identified any suspects, but investigators are exploring possible links to organised crime activity.
Who is Suman Mokhtarian?
Mokhtarian was a prominent figure in the Australian MMA space.
He was the co-founder of the Australian Top Team, a former UFC athlete, and made his name on TUF.
Mokhtarian appeared on TUF 27 as a featherweight after competing up until then on the Australian regional scene.
Despite losing to Ricky Steele in the opening round of the tournament, the UFC liked what they saw and offered Mokhtarian a contract.
He was quickly knocked out by Sodiq Yusuff in his UFC debut in December 2018 before losing a unanimous decision to Seung Woo Choi in December 2019 in what would be his final MMA fight.
Mokhtarian would never compete again, battling several injuries and setbacks.
He instead transitioned into coaching, nurturing some of the top talents in Australian MMA.
Mokhtarian coached at Australian Top Team alongside his brother and fellow UFC alum Ashkan Mokhtarian.
Tributes flow for UFC veteran
Fellow fighters paid tribute to Mokhtarian on Thursday morning as news of his death spread.
Tyler Diamond, who appeared on the same season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ wrote on social media: “He had a genuinely good heart. This is sad to see.”
While one of Mokhtarian’s students, Jesse Swain penned a heartfelt tribute on Wednesday night.
“Haven’t been able to sleep tonight after hearing the news so decided to post this now, firstly I want to say Suman believed in me more than I believed in myself I owe all I’ve done in MMA to him,” it began.
“Anyone that knew him personally knows how passionate and invigorating he was and he expected nothing but the best from you.
“He pushed me to heights I never thought I’d get to when starting out, he stopped me from quitting in late 2024 right before he got me the professional opportunities and he personally told me my potential in the game I’ll make sure to fulfill that potential for him.”
While another of his students Ali Hassan wrote: “Allah please have mercy. This has hurt my family so much for the things he’s done for us. Suman got me out the gutter took care of me when I needed it most no matter has happened you’ve been there for me and my family. Ya Allah have mercy on him.”
Shooting plot foiled in Sydney’s southwest
The fatal shooting comes after two separate, gun-related incidents in Sydney this week.
A 60-year-old man was charged with 25 offences after allegedly spraying up to 50 bullets down a busy street in Croydon Park on Sunday night.
Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon described the incident as “serious and terrifying”, and said police were forced to take cover while “several volleys of shots” were fired.
Meanwhile on Tuesday NSW police made a dramatic arrest in a separate incident Sydney’s southwest, foiling an alleged planned hit on a man near a daycare centre.
Detectives allege the men charged – Kevin Mundine, 19, Greall Tighe, 18, and Tyrone Tuiluga Rio, 26 – were a “kill team” who had been hired due to an internal feud within a South-East Asian organised crime group.
It is understood that the intended victim was near the Revesby daycare after picking up their child from the centre.
They were arrested in the middle of a busy road, with police finding two firearms, balaclavas, bodyworn cameras and jerry cans containing fuel during a search of the cars.
“We will allege in court the men were en route to attempt to kill a man in close vicinity of a daycare centre in southwestern Sydney,” Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook said in a press conference.
“The fact this group were prepared to kill an individual in a location where so much collateral damage could have been caused is of significant concern to the NSW Police Force.”
Police urged anyone with information on the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
