Elite Fight Force gym shooting of Taha Sabbagh possibly linked to death of Yusuf Nazlioglu

An underworld source claims the shooting of a dad in front of his 12-year-old son at a west Sydney gym could be linked to the gangland assassination of bikie last year.

Taha Sabbagh, 40, was gunned down outside the Elite Fight Force MMA gym in Sefton on March 2, as he dropped off his son for a 6.30am boxing class.

Speculation about why the celebrity chauffeur was targeted has run rife with the gruesome murder coming after six months of relative peace on streets.

Underworld sources at first suspected the cold-blooded attack could have been retaliation for a jeweller who was recently kidnapped and held for ransom, with the gym frequented by a number of gangsters rumoured to have been involved.

Among them are senior members of the Comanchero bikies and their allies – including the Alameddine and Mariam crime clans.

However, sources now believe the father’s death could be related to a revenge plot for the death of Lone Wolf bikie Yusuf Nazlioglu.

Underworld sources believe the shooting of Taha Sabbagh (pictured with Russian TikTok celebrity Hasbulla) could be linked to the 2022 shooting of Lone Wolf bikie Yusuf Nazlioglu

Lone Wolf bikie Yusuf Nazlioglu (pictured with his wife Jade) was killed last June after reported conflicts with the Comanchero gang

Underworld sources said Mr Sabbagh could have been killed in revenge for Nazlioglu death (pictured, detectives at the scene of Mr Sabbagh’s shooting last Thursday)

Nazlioglu (above) was once accused of killing a Comanchero president and reportedly had a disagreement with another senior member in the weeks before his death

Nazlioglu was killed in the carpark of his Rhodes apartment block in June – just five months after marrying his wife Jade.

Mr Sabbagh was not known to police but NSW Police Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said he ‘was associated with some people who are well known to police and have strong criminal activity connected to them’. 

‘Straight after the shooting guys at the gym thought it was a in retaliation for the kidnapping of (a Sydney jeweller) who had to hand over millions in cash, heaps of cocaine and a watch worth millions,’ a source told the Daily Telegraph. 

‘But when the CCTV became public, there are guys convinced it was a bloke from the Lone Wolf and killing this guy was all about revenge for ‘Youi’ (Yusuf Nazlioglu).’

Nazlioglu was once accused of murdering Comanchero gang president Mahmoud ‘Mick’ Hawi, who was shot outside a Rockdale gym in February 2018.

Nazlioglu also reportedly had a dispute with Hawi’s mother in the weeks before his death. 

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest the jeweller or Elite Fight Force are involved in criminal activity.

Sources have also warned Mr Sabbagh’s death could trigger a massive gangland war between the Lone Wolf and Comanchero crews.

‘There are different groups throwing cash in for a war chest to hit back over this shooting,’ they said.

Several key members from both sides of the apparent conflict have left Australia since Thursday’s shooting unfolded.

Mr Sabbagh (above) was not known to police but ‘was associated with some people who are well known to police and have strong criminal activity connected to them’

It’s understood Mr Sabbagh had connections to Comanchero members – the gang linked to Nazlioglu’s shooting (pictured, Nazlioglu’s black Mercedes following last June’s shooting)

The kidnapped jeweller is believed to have moved to Dubai in the weeks following his release.

A senior member of the Lone Wolf gang and friend of Nazlioglu is also currently overseas.

Jilal Marium, who is rumoured to be part of the Mariam gang, is also out of the country.

However, a police officer responded to the new theory by saying ‘crooks’ can often create ‘bulls**t’ false scenarios around shootings to fuel tensions with other gangs.