A boxing gym in South Melbourne has been hit by arsonists twice in 24 hours, with the most recent attack completely gutting the facility.
In the early hours of both Tuesday and Wednesday, emergency services were called to the Rare Breed gym on Montague Street after reports of a fire.
Just before 4am on Tuesday, detectives and fire crews were called to the gym after a white vehicle rammed the roller door, police said. The offenders lit a fire inside, which was quickly contained, before fleeing in the vehicle. The building sustained minor damage to the gym floor.
Emergency services were again called to the site shortly after 3am on Wednesday where they arrived to see smoke and flames coming from the gym.
An FRV spokesman said it took 33 firefighters almost 40 minutes to contain the blaze, which has caused “significant damage”.
The ceiling of the venue collapsed in the chaos, with the inside now completely gutted.
The gym is owned by boxer Ray “Razor” Dimachki, who owns a second gym in Mordialloc.
Dimachki took to the gym’s social media following the first attack to notify his clients of the attack, saying the building can be damaged but “a community can’t”.
“In the early hours of this morning, our South Melbourne facility was targeted in a criminal act that caused damage to the gym,” the post said on Tuesday.
“We are working closely with Victoria Police as investigations continue and will provide any assistance required.
“Right now, our focus is on getting the gym back open. We are hopeful of being operational again within the next week and will keep members updated as plans are confirmed.”
He has not made any public comments since the second attack.
The gym site itself is no stranger to controversy, with the site in 2024 at the centre of a vicious dispute between an estranged couple amid allegations of fraud, a massive debt, police investigations and a daylight attack involving a claw hammer and a gun.
Former gym owners AK Moslehi Roudi and Tamika Gray were locked in a battle for control of the then-named Halo Gym, which Moslehi Roudi founded in 2020. The gym closed in August 2024.
In March 2024, their feud came to a head when Moslehi Roudi – who is named AK after the Russian assault weapon – was allegedly confronted by his former wife inside the gym. She was accompanied by four men – one armed with a claw hammer, according to an intervention order obtained by the Port Phillip crime investigation unit on behalf of Moslehi Roudi.
Moslehi Roudi sustained internal injuries and a broken nose in the attack that was partially captured by CCTV cameras inside the premises.
It is not suggested Moslehi Roudi or Gray are involved in the recent arson attacks.
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