Khabib Nurmagomedov, the UFC Hall of Famer, unintentionally made headlines earlier this year following his removal from the exit row of a Frontier Airlines flight. Nurmagomedov is regarded by many as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history.
Nurmagomedov entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022 alongside his longtime friend and teammate Daniel Cormier. He hasn’t discussed the incident in detail since it occurred.
The Incident Unfolds
Former Russian mixed martial arts star Khabib Nurmagomedov was removed from a Frontier Airlines flight following a dispute with crew. The UFC lightweight champion, who retired with a perfect 29-0 record, wrote in an X post on Monday that he resorted to flying with another airline after being deplaned.
In a video widely circulated online, Nurmagomedov is seen sitting in the cabin's emergency exit row and talking to a crew member. The female crew member can be heard in the video explaining to him that flight attendants were "not comfortable" with him sitting in the exit row. The 36-year-old fighter said that after two minutes of conversation, the airline staff member called security, and he was "deplaned" from the aircraft.
After an hour and 30 minutes, Nurmagomedov, nicknamed "The Eagle," said he boarded a different flight and flew to his destination. He wrote that he did his best to "stay calm and respectful," adding, "but those crew members could do better next time and just be nice with clients."
Read also: AA Baggage Guide
Mendez's Perspective
“So basically what happened [is that] they escorted him out and he goes, ‘I just need you guys to explain to me why, I’m capable of doing this,’” Mendez said of Nurmagomedov. “And, they said no, you either change seats or you’re off the plane.
“And the one thing that Khabib said that really irritated him, and the whole thing was a fiasco, but what irritated the most was the security guard was doing what he was supposed to do, kicking him out, not understanding, not even listening to Khabib. … So he didn’t listen to Khabib at all, but at the very end, the security guard wanted a picture with him. They knew who he was.
“They’re very stupid, and they deserve what they get ” Mendez continued.
Frontier Airlines' Statement
Frontier Airlines said the incident took place on a plane due to fly from Las Vegas to San Francisco. Frontier Airlines rejects the notion that UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov was removed from a flight for any reason other than not being compliant with Federal Aviation Administration requirements. 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," Frontier's statement read.
"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 flight attendant informed Mr. Nurmagomedov that he could be moved to a different upgraded seat or exit the plane."
Read also: Family Influence on Khabib
Frontier said in a statement sent to Business Insider that Nurmagomedov 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."
"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 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."
Videos circulating on social media platforms do not capture this interaction, and instead show a subsequent interaction after a gate agent entered the plane and reiterated the option to be reseated. As a result of the customer’s initial unresponsiveness and repeated declinations of a seat change, he was asked to deplane per airline and FAA policy. 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."
Nurmagomedov's Response and Concerns
Nurmagomedov confirmed Sunday that he was escorted off a Frontier Airlines flight after video of the incident went viral on social media. In a post on X on Monday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) legend clarified that the incident occurred on a Frontier Airlines flight and questioned if he had been the victim of racial discrimination.
The dispute centred around whether Nurmagomedov, who was sitting in the plane’s exit row, was prepared, or able, to help other passengers in the event of an emergency. The 36-year-old UFC champion, writing on X, said a flight attendant who spoke to him “was very rude from the very beginning”.
Read also: The Story of Abubakar Nurmagomedov
And even though he speaks “very decent English and can understand everything and agreed to assist, she still insists on removing me from my seat”, he said. “What was the base for that, racial, national or other one, I’m not sure,” he added.
In the video of the dispute, recorded by another passenger, a flight attendant is heard telling Nurmagomedov, “We cannot allow you to sit in the exit row… I am not going to do this back and forth. I’ll go call a supervisor. You can either take a different seat or we can go ahead and escort you off the plane.”
The retired UFC fighter responded to the flight attendant by saying, “It’s not fair.” He is also heard to say that he had fully complied with the flight crew during the onboarding process, and added: “When I was in check-in, they asked me, do I know English… and I say yes.
In a statement to MMA Junkie on Monday, Frontier provided its version of events and said the incident "was in no way related to (Nurmagomedov's) ethnicity."
Michael Chandler's Defense
Michael Chandler defends Khabib Nurmagomedov after Frontier Airlines flight removal
Dana White reacts to Khabib getting kicked off the flight!
Khabib has been focused on UFC 311 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+) this Saturday from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. In the night's main event, Khabib protege Islam Makhachev will defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan.