Former UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was recently removed from a flight due to an alleged altercation. The incident, which has since gone viral, saw the former lightweight champion escorted off the plane after a heated exchange with airline staff. Khabib, who was seated in an exit row, claimed he was unfairly treated.
What happened with Khabib Nurmagomedov on Frontier Airlines?
Khabib Nurmagomedov recently shared his experience with Frontier Airlines staff at Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport, sparking attention on social media. On January 12, 2025, Khabib took to X (formerly Twitter) to set the record straight, clarifying that it was Frontier, not Alaska Airlines. He explained that the flight attendant approached him rudely and insisted he leave his seat, even though he was willing to cooperate.
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"Lady who comes to me with questions was very rude from the very beginning, even though I speak very decent English and can understand everything and agreed to assist, she still insists on removing me from my seat," he posted on X. “What was the base for that, racial, national or other one, I'm not sure,” he continued.
Expressing his frustration with the situation, he mentioned that after a brief conversation, security was called, and he was removed from the flight. He noted that he remained calm and respectful throughout the ordeal, as seen in the video, but felt that the airline staff could have handled the situation more kindly and professionally.
{{/usCountry}}Expressing his frustration with the situation, he mentioned that after a brief conversation, security was called, and he was removed from the flight. He noted that he remained calm and respectful throughout the ordeal, as seen in the video, but felt that the airline staff could have handled the situation more kindly and professionally.
{{/usCountry}}The conflict
The issue began when Khabib, seated in the exit row, was questioned by the flight attendant about his ability to assist others in case of an emergency, a requirement for exit row passengers. Despite assuring the staff that he could comply, he was treated poorly, according to Khabib. Another passenger filmed a portion of the exchange, where the attendant was heard saying, "We cannot allow you to sit in the exit row... I’m not going to do this back and forth. I’ll go call a supervisor. You can either take a different seat or we can escort you off the plane."
Khabib, visibly upset, responded, saying, “It’s not fair,” expressing his confusion since he had already gone through the check-in process and confirmed his English skills.
He shared that within an hour and a half, he boarded another airline to continue his journey. At the time of the incident, Khabib was traveling to California to support his teammates ahead of UFC 311, featuring title fights involving his protege Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov.