Amirkhon Dzhuraev left Russia and entered the United States with the dream of becoming an accomplished MMA fighter. However, his career ambitions now face serious uncertainty as his wife describes her ongoing struggle with ICE officers after immigration authorities took him into custody last November.
According to Dzhuraev’s newlywed wife, Breanne, ICE detained him at Federal Plaza during a routine check-in. Even though he holds a work permit and has a pending green card application, authorities transferred the fighter to a Louisiana detention facility after Russian officials reportedly called for him to join the ongoing war. Throughout this difficult period, Breanne has maintained contact with her husband through video calls, and she has now spoken out about her continued efforts to secure his release from ICE custody.
“My husband went to his ICE check-in, and when he went there, they noticed he’s been here three years,” Breanne said, according to an article by the Irish Star. “Pending asylum is supposed to be approved within that one-year timeline, and I guess due to his ineffective counsel, he never had a proper filing of his asylum,” she added.
The ongoing Russian war has been very complicated not only for regular citizens but also for athletes. As per reports, the reigning UFC middleweight champion, Khamzat Chimaev, also faced issues while trying to leave Russia back in 2022. Reports claimed that ‘Borz’ faced passport problems, but later his manager debunked the whole issue. However, in Dzhuraev’s case, the situation appears to be much more difficult.
Amirkhon Dzhuraev was born in Tajikistan and moved to Russia when he was very young. After spending most of his life in Moscow, he moved to New York City in 2023 and had his first MMA bout at ECF 42. In the three years he has lived in America, Amirkhon’s wife revealed that the pro-MMA fighter got a work permit, paid his taxes, and also had zero criminal activity. Still, he apparently received repeated notices from authorities at his workplace, but ended up rejecting them.
“Each of those notices he was ignoring until they came to his workplace and brought him to the station and physically beat him. They were basically threatening his life if he didn’t go into the war. So he and his mother just left. His mother came with him to the United States seeking asylum,” she further added.
Furthermore, Breanne revealed that her husband’s status has been classified as an “arriving alien,” which means that only ICE has the power to release him from the current detention. However, the judge apparently ordered him to move back to Russia, where she fears Amirkhon would be immediately forced into the war.
Now, as the situation continues to grow more difficult for the MMA fighter, his wife also explained that Amirkhon Dzhuraev’s life inside the detention camp has been extremely tough.
MMA fighter Amirkhon Dzhuraev’s wife details his life in detention camp
After revealing the whole fiasco with ICE, Amirkhon’s wife also shed light on how the pro MMA fighter is actually living under dire circumstances in the Louisiana detention center. According to Breanne, her husband has been sharing a room with hundreds of other detained men and has also lost 30–40 pounds.
“It’s this big room with a hundred other men, bunk beds everywhere, and they’re allowed outside maybe once a week,” she said. “He’s lost 30 pounds and looks very pale and sick. Having him try to wait another 10 months while this appeal is pending is just ridiculous. I’ve sent about 10 parole requests. I get no answers from ICE. I’ve tried to reach out to Congress. I’ve gotten no response,” she added.
Moreover, Breanne also mentioned that she gave up their apartment and moved to her mother’s place because the legal expenses had crossed $40,000. To meet those bills, she opened a GoFundMe page to support her ongoing legal battle.
What do you think about the whole legal scenario? Should Dzhuraev be released? Let us know in the comments section below.