UFC legend was removed after exit row disagreement.
Frontier Airlines has responded to the widely shared video of retired UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov being removed from a flight. The incident occurred during a trip from Las Vegas to San Francisco and revolved around his seating in an exit row.
The video, recorded by another passenger and circulated on social media, shows a flight attendant requesting that Nurmagomedov change his seat. According to the flight attendant, the airline staff felt “uncomfortable” with him seated in the exit row. When Nurmagomedov declined to move, he was given the choice to either accept a new seat or leave the aircraft. Eventually, he chose to deplane after the gate agent reiterated the options.
Frontier Airlines addressed the incident in a statement on Monday, denying allegations of discrimination based on ethnicity. The airline explained that the situation arose due to standard safety protocols.
“On Jan. 11, 2025, as flight 4401 from Las Vegas to San Francisco was preparing for departure, a flight attendant initiated the customary briefing for exit row passengers,” the statement read.
“Customer Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was seated in an exit row, was asked multiple times if he was willing and able to assist in the event of an emergency. According to the flight attendant, Mr. Nurmagomedov did not respond, despite repeated attempts, which placed him in non-compliance with FAA requirements.”
The airline further clarified that social media videos only captured the latter part of the altercation, missing earlier interactions. They added that Nurmagomedov repeatedly refused to change his seat, leading to his removal in accordance with their policies. Frontier Airlines also stated that both he and his travel companions had been refunded for their tickets.
In the aftermath, Nurmagomedov issued a statement criticising the flight attendant’s behaviour. He claimed the staff member was “very rude” from the outset and emphasised that he had remained calm and respectful throughout the ordeal. “I did my best to stay calm and respectful as you can see on the video,” Nurmagomedov remarked. “But those crew members could do better next time and just be nice with clients.”
While Frontier Airlines stands firm on their adherence to FAA regulations, the incident has sparked wider discussions. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called for an investigation to determine if bias influenced the decision.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was removed from his flight last night after a dispute over sitting in the emergency exit row pic.twitter.com/WBRpm7gWiu
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) January 12, 2025