Pro MMA Fighter Allegedly Murders His Doctor Over Covid Vaccine Argument

A professional mixed martial artist is facing a lengthy stint behind bars after allegedly stabbing his doctor to death after an argument over the Covid-19 vaccine.

According to multiple reports from local newspapers, Akmal Khozhiev has been arrested by the Guam Police Department following an incident which left his doctor deceased.

Reports from witnesses suggest Khozhiev and Dr Miran Ribati, a radiologist at Guam Memorial Hospital, were engaging in a heated debate over the Covid-19 vaccine at an apartment complex.

It's then alleged that the bickering escalated into a physical altercation which resulted in Khozhiev choking his doctor unconscious.

Witnesses claim the MMA fighter then stabbed Ribati in the throat with an animal bone before grabbing a knife and stabbing him again.

Police were called and arrived at the horror scene to find Ribati dead with Khozhiev saying: "Sir, it's me, it's me, I killed him."

Khozhiev was renowned as an anti-vaxxer, calling himself the "Unvaccinated Assassin".

It's understood he was pretty vocal on social media too, running a campaign against the jab and mandatory masks.

The Russian is due to appear in court in a couple days, facing charges of first-degree felony aggravated murder with a deadly weapon and second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

His bail has been set at $1 million.

Khozhiev, who boasts a professional record of 3-1, used to train and coach at Steel Athletics.

Another person who used to train there was Ribati.

The facility's owner is former Bellator fighter JJ Ambrose, who has now had his say on the tragic incident.

"He was such a great person up until he wasn't," Ambrose told KUAM.

"We did everything we possibly could to warn people that AK wasn't AK anymore... It's very hard because I know when you're friends with two people and those two people are on the outs, you don't want to take sides. You want to ride in the middle. But in this case, AK seriously needed help, and that was the problem - that people were not trying to take sides, and he seriously needed help this whole time."

Topics: UFC, Australia, MMA

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry