UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov removed from flight after seat dispute

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was removed from a Frontier Airlines following a dispute over seating arrangements in the exit row, with a viral clip capturing the heated exchange.

The footage shows airline staff asking Nurmagomedov to change his seat, citing regulations, which he refused to comply with.

A flight attendant is heard warning the retired fighter that a supervisor could be called to escort him off the plane. Moments later, Nurmagomedov voluntarily left the aircraft.

It was initially reported that the flight was operated by Alaska Airlines. However, Nurmagomedov clarified in a post on X that the airline was Fly Frontier.

"First of all, I need to clarify that it was @FlyFrontier not AlaskaAir," he posted.

"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," he added.

The incident was captured on another passenger’s mobile phone, in which the flight attendant can be heard 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 responded by saying: "It’s not fair. When I was in check-in, they asked me if I know English, and I said yes. Then why do you guys do this?"

The 36-year-old fighter from Dagestan, Russia, retired in 2020 after defeating Justin Gaethje in Abu Dhabi, extending his unbeaten record to 29-0.

Nurmagomedov is the first Russian and first Muslim to win the UFC lightweight championship.

One of his most famous victories came in 2018, when he defeated Ireland’s Conor McGregor in a high-profile lightweight title fight in Las Vegas, US.

Outrage on social media

The incident sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many accusing the airline of racial and religious profiling.

Dr. Omar Suleiman criticised the airline, tweeting, "Khabib removed from a plane? It seems even one of the most famous Muslims in the world couldn’t escape racial profiling in America... This is complete garbage."

Furkan Gozukara speculated on the incident, writing, "UFC World Champion Khabib removed from airplane because someone reported that she is not comfortable he is sitting next to the emergency exit. The only reason that comes to my mind is that she knows he is Pro-Palestine and Anti-Israel."

Dilly Hussain condemned the move, saying, "Why was Khabib Nurmagomedov removed from the plane? Racial and religious profiling of Muslims appears to know no bounds. Disgraceful."