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Teammates of Suman Mokhtarian have paid tribute to the former UFC fighter, amid reports that the 33-year-old was shot dead on Wednesday.

Multiple reports on Wednesday (8 October) stated that the Australian had been shot and killed during an evening walk in Sydney, more than 18 months after it was alleged that he was the subject of an attempted assassination.

The Independent has contacted New South Wales Police for comment, after the force posted a statement that seemed to refer to Wednesday’s reported attack – though without naming Mokhtarian as the victim.

“A man has died in a public place shooting in Sydney’s west today,” read the statement. “About 6pm today, emergency services were called to Annaluke Street, Riverstone, following reports of a shooting.

“Officers attached to Riverstone Police Area Command attended and found a man suffering gunshot wounds. He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics, however he died at the scene. The man is yet to be formally identified.

“Police established a crime scene and commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident. A short time later, about 6.15pm, emergency services were called to Riverstone Road, Riverstone, near Clark Street, following reports of a car fire.

“Fire and Resue [SIC] NSW crews attended and extinguished the blaze, however, the vehicle was destroyed. Police have established a second crime scene and are working to establish whether the two incidents are linked.”

Mokhtarian competed in the UFC twice, once in 2018 and once in 2019, losing both of his bouts in the featherweight division.

Mokhtarian, having earned a UFC contract after appearing on The Ultimate Fighter in 2018, was stopped by Sodiq Yusuff in his UFC debut then outpointed by Seung Woo Choi in his other outing.

He did not compete in mixed martial arts again after those fights, with his record standing at 8-2, but he continued to train.

Jesse Swain was among Mokhtarian’s teammates who paid tribute, writing on Instagram: “Haven’t been able to sleep tonight after hearing the news so decided to post this now, firstly I want to say Suman believed in me more than I believed in myself.

“I owe all I’ve done in mma to him. Anyone that knew him personally knows how passionate and invigorating he was and he expected nothing but the best from you. He pushed me to heights I never thought I’d get to when starting out.

“He stopped me from quitting in late 2024 right before he got me the professional opportunities and he personally told me my potential in the game. “I’ll make sure to fulfill that potential for him. RIP Suman.”

Another teammate, Ali Hassan, wrote on Instagram: “Allah please have mercy. 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.

“No matter [what] has happened you’ve been there for me and my family. Ya Allah have mercy on him.”