Suman Mokhtarian, founder of Australian Top Team and a former UFC athlete and Ultimate Fighter veteran, has been slain in what is being called a gangland hit.
Mokhtarian, who survived a previous assassination attempt, was killed on Wednesday while walking in the Riverstone district of Sydney, Australia. The Daily Telegraph was first to report the “brazen” shooting, which saw emergency responders attending the scene where Mokhtarian was found at about 6PM local time.
A vehicle set ablaze was found nearby.
In February, a man disguised as a delivery driver opened fire on Mokhtarian, but the ex-fighter and longtime coach survived. The assailant was arrested, charged with attempted murder, and later released on bail.
In 2023, brother Ashkan Mokhtarian, who also competed for the UFC, was arrested on drug related offenses. He’d previously pled guilty to drug charges in 2020.
No suspects have been arrested in Suman Mokhtarian’s murder.
Neither brother had competed since 2019, and both had posted identical 0-2 records under the UFC banner. Suman had come up short against “Super” Sodiq Yusuff and Seung Woo Choi, after appearing as part of The Ultimate Fighter 27, where he was defeated by Ricky Steele.
Mokhtarian (8-2) went a perfect 8-0 to start his career prior to linking up with the UFC.
Tyler Diamond, who also appeared on TUF 27, was among those paying his respects on Wednesday. “He had a genuinely good heart. This is sad to see,” Diamond wrote on social media.
