Former UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has responded after viral clips showed him getting kicked off a flight following a dispute over seating arrangements with a flight attendant.
According to a TMZ report, the boarding dust-up took place on a flight leaving Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport on Saturday.
The Russian native born to an Avar family is regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. The 2022 UFC Hall of Famer also holds the distinction of being the first Muslim to win a UFC title.
Viral clips showed him being confronted by an airline employee who gave him the option to either switch seats or debark the plane after flight attendants expressed not being "comfortable" with him "sitting in the exit row," which requires passenger consent to physically assist fellow passengers off the plane in the event of an emergency.
"It's off of their judgment," she said of the flight crew members, who allegedly argued over Nurmagomedov's ability to understand and speak English.
"It's not about the language sir," said the employee, adding:
"I'm not gonna do this back-and-forth. You can either take a different seat or we can go ahead and escort you off the plane."
Nurmagomedov calmly replied the situation wasn't "fair" and eventually chose the latter option of being escorted off the plane and rebooking another flight.
The clip ends with Nurmagomedov following an airport security member off the plane.
Here's the video shared by TikToker @viceplayer28.
@viceplayer28 Visit TikTok to discover videos!
On Sunday, Nurmagomedov addressed the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter), starting with a clarification on the airline he was traveling with in response to false assumptions made online.
"First of all, I need to clarify that it was @FlyFrontier not AlaskaAir," he wrote.
Nurmagomedov continued:
"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."
"What was the base for that, racial, national or other one, I'm not sure."
"But after 2 minutes of conversation, she called security and I was deplaned from this aircraft, after 1,5 hour I boarded another airline one and left to my destination."
"I did my best to stay calm and respecttul as you can see on the video. But those crew members could do better next time and just be nice with clients."
Social media users weren't surprised he was flying with an airline that was notorious for having poor customer service.
Many thought he was more than qualified and dependable to be sitting in the exit row in the event of a mid-flight crisis.
He was commended for keeping things calm.
Some thought the conflict stemmed from racism.
In response to the onboard altercation with the UFC champ, Frontier Airlines told the Huffington Post in an updated statement:
“On Jan. 11, 2025, as flight 4401 from Las Vegas to San Francisco was preparing for departure, a flight attendant initiated the customary briefing for exit row passengers."
"Customer Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was seated in an exit row, was asked multiple times if he was willing and able to assist in the event of an emergency."
“According to the flight attendant, Mr. Nurmagomedov did not respond, despite repeated attempts, which placed him in non-compliance with FAA requirements."
The statement added:
“As a result, he was asked to move to a different upgraded seat which he refused to do. Therefore, in accordance with airline and FAA policy, he was asked to deplane.”
The airline clarified:
"The decision to deplane the customer was in no way related to his ethnicity and we have refunded him and his traveling companions for their flights.”
