Watan–The Russian wrestler Khabib Nurmagomedov stated that he was removed from a flight in the United States following a dispute over seating arrangements with the airline crew at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
In a post on the platform “X,” the retired UFC legend explained that the incident occurred aboard a Frontier Airlines flight, hinting at possible racial discrimination.
Footage of the incident quickly spread online, with initial reports suggesting it took place on an Alaska Airlines flight before it was confirmed to have involved Frontier Airlines.
The disagreement revolved around whether Nurmagomedov, who was seated in the emergency exit row, was prepared and capable of assisting other passengers in case of an emergency.
In his post, the 36-year-old wrestler noted that the flight attendant who spoke to him “was extremely rude from the start.” Despite his proficiency in English and his willingness to cooperate, the attendant “insisted on removing him from his seat,” according to Nurmagomedov.
First of all, I need to clarify that it was @FlyFrontier not AlaskaAir.
Lady who comes to me with questions was very rude from the very beginning, even though I speak very decent English and can understand everything and agreed to assist, she still insists on removing me from my…— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) January 12, 2025
He added, “What’s the reason behind this? Is it racism, nationalism, or something else? I don’t know.”
Nurmagomedov did not disclose when the incident occurred, and Frontier Airlines has not issued any statement on the matter so far.
In the video documenting the incident, the flight attendant can be heard telling Nurmagomedov, “We cannot allow you to sit in the emergency row. I’m not going to argue further; I will call a supervisor. You can either move to another seat or we will escort you off the plane.”
In response, Nurmagomedov was heard saying, “This is not fair.” He also mentioned that he had fully complied with the crew’s instructions during boarding, adding, “When I was at the check-in desk, they asked me if I understood English, and I said yes. So, why are you doing this?”
After a two-minute argument, the attendant called security, leading to Nurmagomedov’s removal from the plane.
He wrote on X, “After an hour and a half, I boarded another plane and reached my destination.”
It is believed that Nurmagomedov was en route to California to support his teammates ahead of the UFC 311 event scheduled for January 18.
Nurmagomedov retired undefeated with a record of 29 wins and is considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
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