- Mokhtarian was later shot dead in separate 2025 attack
Two men have learned their fate after a brazen attempt to execute former UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian outside a busy Sydney gym.
A jury has found Noah Touma and Usman Chami guilty over the attempted murder of Mokhtarian, who was targeted in a shocking daylight ambush in 2024.
The pair had pleaded not guilty and stood trial in Parramatta District Court, but this week a jury of 12 convicted them of shooting with intent to murder.
The court heard Mokhtarian was standing outside his Australian Top Team gym in Wentworthville on February 20, 2024 when a gunman disguised as a food delivery rider approached on a scooter.
CCTV footage captured the rider wearing a high-vis shirt and helmet before stopping nearby and walking toward the gym entrance.
Moments before the shooting, Mokhtarian even joked about the suspicious figure.
‘I said to the boys; ‘he looks like he’s about to shoot us’,’ he told police.
Two men were found guilty over a brazen attempted execution of Suman Mokhtarian outside Sydney gym in 2024
Gunman disguised as delivery rider approached Mokhtarian on scooter before calmly pulling handgun and opening fire outside gym
Mokhtarian joked about suspicious rider moments before shooting, telling friends ‘he looks like he’s about to shoot us’
Seconds later, the man pulled a handgun from his waistband and opened fire.
Mokhtarian ran for safety as bullets were fired toward him, before the gunman followed him inside the packed gym and discharged further rounds.
Around 30 people were inside the facility at the time, sparking panic as clients scrambled to escape.
Despite the terrifying scenes, no one was struck.
The shooter then fled on the scooter, which was later found burned out in a nearby street.
Prosecutors alleged Touma was the gunman, while Chami helped organise the attack.
The court was told the scooter used in the ambush had been purchased days earlier and spray-painted from black to white using cans bought from a Bunnings store.
Chami had also attended the gym in the weeks before the shooting, with prosecutors alleging he acted as a spotter to help plan the attack.
Prosecutors alleged Usman Chami acted as spotter after attending gym weeks before shocking attempted execution in 2024
Noah Touma was identified as alleged gunman who opened fire outside Sydney gym during failed execution attempt
The defence argued there was no proof Touma was the man on the scooter and denied any agreement to carry out the shooting.
During a police interview played to the court, Touma denied any involvement and expressed relief no one had been injured.
‘Thank God’ no one was hurt, he said, adding it would have been ‘tragic’ if anyone inside the gym had been struck.
He also claimed he had never heard of Mokhtarian or the gym prior to seeing media reports.
‘I didn’t even know Australian Top Team gym existed, to be honest,’ he said.
Mokhtarian told police he had no idea why anyone would want to ‘shoot up my business’ and said he was unaware of any disputes or debts.
The attempted hit formed part of a violent chapter in the former fighter’s life.
Mokhtarian, who compiled an 8-2 professional record and fought twice in the UFC, had built a reputation as a skilled submission specialist before transitioning into coaching and running his Sydney gym.
He later died in October 2025 after being shot in the upper torso during a separate targeted attack in Riverstone.
Neither Touma nor Chami are accused of his murder and were already in custody at the time of that shooting.
Following this week’s verdict, both men will remain behind bars ahead of sentencing later this year.
