This Russian Former UFC Champion Was Escorted Off A Plane Over The Exit Row Seat, Sparking A Controversy
A video showed a flight attendant telling Khabib Nurmagomedov he had to be moved to another seat or be rebooked on another plane.
Former UFC Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was kicked out from a Frontier Airlines flight on Sunday, Jan. 12, at Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport.
Nurmagomedov is a Russian Muslim retired mixed martial arts fighter who is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport with an undefeated record of 29 wins and no losses.
The 36-year-old was escorted off the flight after a flight attendant said they were uncomfortable with him sitting in the emergency exit row.
A video of the incident shared on social media showed Nurmagomedov and a woman flight attendant arguing, with the flight attendant telling Nurmagomedov he had to be moved to another seat or be rebooked on another plane.
“I know the language, I know how to help people,” Nurmagomedov was heard saying at the start of the video.
However, the flight attendant then said it was not about the language but that her flight attendants did not feel comfortable with him sitting in the exit row.
Nurmagomedov then said the situation was unfair as he confirmed his English proficiency during check-in and did not want to switch seats.
He was then seen being escorted off the plane.
The incident has sparked a controversy, with some people saying Nurmagomedov was racially profiled.
Nurmagomedov later said in a tweet on X that the flight attendant who was talking to him was “very rude” and insisted on removing from his seat despite clearly speaking and understanding English.
“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,” Nurmagomedov said.
He boarded another flight from another airline after 1.5 hours and went to his destination.
Nurmagomedov was flying from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Los Angeles, California, to support his teammates ahead of the UFC 311 event on Jan. 18, according to Al Jazeera.
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