A video of retired UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov being escorted off an Alaska Airlines plane has gone viral.
Staff apparently reported feeling “discomforted” by his apparent understanding of English as he sat in an exit row seat where he would need assistance in an emergency. pic.twitter.com/Bf7S7jLji6
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish)
January 12, 2025
Frontier Airlines has issued a statement regarding the incident in which UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov was removed from a flight with the airline over the weekend.
On Sunday, a video surfaced of Nurmagomedov arguing with a flight attendant over an exit row seat. The source of the disagreement appears to be regarding Nurmagomedov’s ability to assist others in emergencies. Nurmagomedov exited the plane without incident, but the incident prompted the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to call for an investigation into possible racial and religious profiling against the UFC veteran.
Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov claimed that staff were “extremely rude” and insisted he be removed from his seat, even though he had agreed to the conditions attached to it. The former lightweight champion was eventually able to board another plane and reach his destination.
Frontier Airlines issued a statement regarding the situation on Monday. The airline claims that the video released does not accurately depict everything that happened between Nurmagomedov and the staff on the ground.
“On January 11, 2025, as Flight 4401 from Las Vegas to San Francisco prepared to depart, a flight attendant began a routine briefing for passengers in the exit row,” Frontier said in a statement. are. “Customer Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was sitting in the exit row, was asked multiple times if he was willing and able to cooperate in the event of an emergency.According to the flight attendant, Nurmagomedov Despite repeated attempts, Magomedov did not respond, violating FAA requirements, the flight attendant said, asking him to either move to another upgraded seat or leave the plane. I told him I could do it.
“Videos circulating on social media platforms do not capture this interaction and instead show the subsequent interaction after the gate agent boarded the plane and repeated the seat change option. After initially being unresponsive and repeatedly refusing to change seats, the airline and the FAA The decision to disembark this customer had nothing to do with his ethnicity, so we refunded him and his travel companion the cost of their tickets. ”
Nurmagomedov is expected to take on Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov for their respective bouts at UFC 311 on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
