Professional MMA fighter Akmal Kozhiev is currently facing a murder charge in Guam over the 2021 killing of Dr. Miran Ribati, who was a radiologist at Guam Memorial Hospital.
Khozhiev has plead not guilty to murder by reason of mental illness, according to The Guam Daily Post. However, he was found competent to stand trial after an assessment by Judiciary of Guam clinical psychologist Juan Rapadas.
Khozhiev’s attorney, Ana Gayle — a public defender, succeeded with a request for a second assessment during a court appearance at the Superior Court of Guam last month.
Khozhiev is due to be reassessed this month. A new hearing for the case has been set for April 24.
Court documents state that Khozhiev is accused of choking Ribati and then stabbing him with an animal bone and a knife after an argument at an apartment. Khozhiev was arrested after reportedly confessing to police that he had killed Ribati.
Khozhiev and Ribati knew each other through a local gym. A witness reportedly said the pair were dining together when an argument broke out over the COVID-19 vaccine.
Khozhiev is 28-years-old and is originally from Uzbekistan. He holds a 3-1 pro MMA record for fights between 2016 and 2017. One of his pro bouts happened in the M-1 Global promotion.
About the author: Tim Bissell is a writer, editor and deputy site manager for Bloody Elbow. He has covered combat sports since 2015. Tim covers news and events and has also written longform and investigative pieces. (full bio)
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