Monday, 13 January 2025
Monday, 13 January 2025
Former UFC lightweight champion and undefeated MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov was escorted off a Frontier Airlines flight following a seating dispute with airline staff.
The incident, which occurred on a flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles at Harry Reid International Airport, has gone viral on social media, sparking widespread debate.
In the widely shared video, Khabib, 36, is seen in a tense standoff with a flight attendant over his emergency exit row seat. According to airline policy, passengers seated in these rows must be able to assist in case of an emergency. Khabib insists he was fully compliant with the staff and knew the responsibilities of being seated in an emergency exit row.
Khabir boarded another airline after 1.5 hours to reach his destination.
Footage of the exchange shows the attendant saying: "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."
Nurmagomedov, 36, responded calmly, saying, "It's not fair.“When I was in check-in, they asked me if I know English. I said yes. Then why are you doing this?”
Following the incident, the UFC Hall of Famer took to X to share his side of the story.
"First of all, I need to clarify that it was @FlyFrontier, not AlaskaAir. The lady who approached me was very rude from the start. Even though I speak decent English and agreed to assist in case of an emergency, she still insisted on removing me from my seat," Khabib wrote.
He questioned whether his removal was due to racial or national discrimination, asking: "What was the basis for this—racial, national, or something else?”
"After two minutes of conversation, she called security, and I was deplaned from this aircraft. After 1.5 hours, I boarded another airline and left for my destination. I did my best to stay calm and respectful as you can see on the video. But those crew members could do better next time and just be nice with clients," Mr Nurmagomedov added.
In response, Frontier Airlines said, “We are aware of the incident and are investigating.” No further statement has been issued, but that hasn’t stopped the internet from exploding with heated debates.
Many X users called out the behavior of Frontier Airlines' staff.
The airline's staff, even if they looked frightened to death, somehow managed to remove Khabib.
Most capable person in an emergency situation but not good with English? Yet Khabib was seen talking in English, in the viral video. Just like everyone else even we wonder what was the issue?
Some fans even gave severe threats of boycotting Frontier Airplanes, until they issued an apology.
As per fans, its a blunder that can’t be forgotten.
Fans called on cancelling or boycotting Frontier Airlines.
Fans claim Khabib’s legacy is greater than that of Frontier Airlines brand value.
Khabib was traveling to San Francisco to corner his protégé, Islam Makhachev, who is set to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 this Saturday. Known for his unmatched record of 29-0 and his status as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, Khabib's removal has drawn significant attention beyond the MMA world.
Was this a case of misunderstanding or safety concerns? One thing is certain: the "Eagle" may have left the octagon, but controversy continues to follow him.
