Khabib Releases Statement About Flight Incident
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov issued a statement following the viral video of him being removed from a Las Vegas-bound flight to Los Angeles.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was removed from an airplane due to a dispute involving his seating in the emergency exit row. According to reports, a flight attendant approached Khabib to confirm if he could assist passengers in an emergency, which is a standard procedure for those seated in the exit row. Khabib initially did not understand the request, leading to confusion and a subsequent disagreement when the flight attendant insisted he either change seats or leave the plane.
The incident, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, sparked controversy. Accusations of racial or religious profiling surfaced, though some attributed it to a misunderstanding about exit row responsibilities.
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
Khabib later clarified the situation on social media, stating that he was on a Frontier Airlines flight, not Alaska Airlines as initially reported, and he felt the flight attendant was rude despite his ability to speak English.
First of all, I need to clarify that it was @FlyFrontier not AlaskaAir.
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) January 12, 2025
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…
The incident has sparked discussions on social media, with some users suggesting it might have been due to a passenger feeling uncomfortable with Khabib’s presence in the exit row, while others criticized the airline’s handling of the situation.