Ex-UFC Fighter Survived First Murder Attempt, but Not Second

A former UFC fighter was shot dead in Australia on Wednesday—20 months after surviving a previous attempt on his life. Police say 33-year-old Suman Mokhtarian was killed in what they called a "targeted attack" in Riverstone, a suburb of Sydney, reports CBS News. Mokhtarian had been out for an evening walk when gunned down, and police are still establishing a motive.

"It's very brazen and it's a shame that this is happening in our community," said New South Wales Police superintendent Jason Joyce. Investigators said the shooting bore the hallmarks of organized crime—two vehicles believed linked to the shooting were found burning in separate locations shortly after the attack, per Australia's ABC News. Mokhtarian's last fight in the UFC came in 2019, per the Sydney Morning Herald, and he then moved into coaching and developing MMA talent. Back in February 2024, a gunman on a moped fired four shots at Mokhtarian outside of a gym he co-owned, but all the shots missed.