Former UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian has been shot dead during an evening walk in Sydney, according to multiple reports. The 33-year-old Australian was killed on Wednesday, more than 18 months after surviving an alleged assassination attempt.
New South Wales Police issued a statement confirming that a man died in a public place shooting in Sydney’s west. Officers were called to Annaluke Street, Riverstone, at about 6pm on Wednesday, where they found a man suffering gunshot wounds. He was treated by paramedics but died at the scene. A short time later, a car fire was reported on Riverstone Road, and police are investigating whether the two incidents are linked.
Mokhtarian competed in the UFC twice, losing both bouts in the featherweight division. He earned his UFC contract after appearing on The Ultimate Fighter in 2018, but was stopped by Sodiq Yusuff in his debut and outpointed by Seung Woo Choi in his second fight. He retired from mixed martial arts with a record of 8-2 but continued to train.
Teammates paid tribute to Mokhtarian on social media. Jesse Swain wrote on Instagram: “Haven’t been able to sleep tonight after hearing the news… I owe all I’ve done in MMA to him. He pushed me to heights I never thought I’d get to.” Ali Hassan added: “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.”
