By Riley Walter
A mixed martial arts event has been cancelled amid fears a former UFC fighter and coach could be the target of an alleged gangland hit at the fight night.
NSW Police has stopped the Dark Matter Fighting Championship, scheduled to take place on April 19 at the William Inglis Hotel in Warwick Farm, from going ahead after receiving intelligence that former UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian was the target of an alleged assassination plot to be carried out at the event, 2GB’s Ben Fordham reported.
Police believe Suman Mokhtarian is the alleged gangland target.Credit: Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Mokhtarian survived an alleged attempted hit outside the Australian Top Team gym in Wentworthville in February last year when a man allegedly posing as a food delivery driver opened fire.
On March 31, NSW Police wrote to Dark Matter Fighting Championships promoter Andrew Delmas, advising him it would not support the issuing of a permit to hold the fight night after it had “come to the conclusion there is a serious risk to public safety should this event take place”.
Shortly after, the NSW Combat Sports Authority advised Delmas it had refused to issue the permit.
Delmas said police had advised him there were concerns for the safety of some fighters listed to compete but would not specify who may be targeted and raised concerns the William Inglis Hotel was a “high-security risk”.
“I don’t know what goes on in the background,” Delmas told the Herald.
Dark Matter Fighting Championship promoter Andrew Delmas says he is working with authorities so the event can go ahead on April 19.
Delmas said he was negotiating with NSW Police and the Combat Sports Authority to find a solution to allow the event to go ahead and had identified a possible alternative venue.
“We’re working around the clock to try to get a resolution for this, and we’re two weeks out from tomorrow for weigh-in,” he said.
Delmas said he was not aware of any concerns surrounding Mokhtarian or any fighter or coach involved in the event, which is vetted by the Combat Sports Authority, until being contacted by police.
“I just want to know who can be on the card and who can’t be on the card,” he said.
Mokhtarian is a licensed coach at the Australian Top Team gym and has trained several fighters who were listed to compete in the Dark Matter Fighting Championship. He last fought in the UFC in 2019. The gym was not aware of any potential assassination plot when contacted on Thursday morning.
Mokhtarian told 2GB he was willing to not attend the championship if it meant the event could go ahead. Mokhtarian could not be reached for comment on Thursday morning.
In a statement, NSW Police said while it provided safety and security advice, the Combat Sports Authority determined whether an event went ahead.
“NSW Police will continue to work closely with event organisers to ensure the safety and security of attendees and the wider community at any potential future events,” it said.
A Combat Sports Authority spokesperson said it had declined Delmas’ application to run the event after submissions from NSW Police were reviewed.
“The authority is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of combat sport contestants, ensuring the integrity of combat sport contests and regulating combat sports contests on a harm minimisation basis,” they said.
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