Former UFC fighter dead at 33 after being shot in 'targeted attack while out walking'

Former UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian has tragically passed away at the age of 33. Mokhtarian was reportedly shot in broad daylight on a suburban street in Sydney.

Emergency services rushed to Annaluke St in Riverstone, in the city's north-west, around 6pm on Wednesday. Despite the best efforts of NSW Ambulance paramedics, Mokhtarian sadly succumbed to his injuries.

Riverstone Police Area commander Jason Joyce said: "We believe he may have been out for a walk, but we're yet to confirm that. You'd want to think that in a residential area like that, people could wander the streets at that time of night and be safe, but we do believe it's a targeted attack."

He added: "It would've been a horrific thing to witness and it's certainly not something we tolerate in the community."

Local MP Federal Attorney-General Michelle Rowland expressed her condolences on social media. "My thoughts are with the victim's loved ones, and I give my sincere thanks to the first responders who attended the scene," she wrote.

"Our community in Riverstone is full of young families, and this kind of senseless violence is distressing and unacceptable."

Mokhtarian was the founder of the Australian Top Team UFC gym and had reportedly survived a previous attempt on his life when he was shot at outside the gym in February last year.

After the shooting, he cancelled a planned MMA event in which he was involved two months later due to fears of another potential attempt on his life. The featherweight sensation last stepped into the UFC ring four years ago, facing off against Choi Seung-woo.

However, he was defeated in the bout by unanimous decision. His career concluded with an impressive record of 8-2-0 in the UFC.