A mixed martial arts event has been cancelled amid fears a former UFC fighter and coach could be the target of an alleged gangland hit at the fight night.

NSW Police has stopped the Dark Matter Fighting Championship, scheduled to take place on April 19 at the William Inglis Hotel in Warwick Farm, from going ahead after receiving intelligence that former UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian was the target of an alleged assassination plot to be carried out at the event, 2GB’s Ben Fordham reported.

Mokhtarian survived an alleged attempted hit outside the Australian Top Team gym in Wentworthville in February last year when a man allegedly posing as a food delivery driver opened fire.

On March 31, NSW Police wrote to Dark Matter Fighting Championships promoter Andrew Delmas, advising him it would not support the issuing of a permit to hold the fight night after it had “come to the conclusion there is a serious risk to public safety should this event take place”.

Shortly after, the NSW Combat Sports Authority advised Delmas it had refused to issue the permit.

Delmas said police had advised him there were concerns for the safety of some fighters listed to compete but would not specify who may be targeted and raised concerns the William Inglis Hotel was a “high-security risk”.

“I don’t know what goes on in the background,” Delmas told the Herald.

Delmas said he was negotiating with NSW Police and the Combat Sports Authority to find a solution to allow the event to go ahead and had identified a possible alternative venue.