A seating dispute at Harry Reid International Airport led to the removal of Russian mixed martial arts icon Khabib Nurmagomedov from a flight.
The incident has sparked allegations of racial discrimination, with the UFC legend questioning the airline staff’s treatment of him.
In a widely circulated video, Nurmagomedov - known for his undefeated career in the UFC - is seen being confronted by airline personnel over his seating choice.
According to reports from Al Jazeera, the dispute arose when passengers voiced discomfort about the fighter sitting near the emergency exit.
Nurmagomedov later clarified in a post on social media platform X that the flight in question was operated by Frontier Airlines, not Alaskan Airlines, as initially reported. The fighter also took to his social media to raise concerns about possible racial discrimination during the interaction.
The former UFC lightweight champion stated, “The flight attendant was very rude from the very beginning. I speak very decent English, and after I agreed to assist, she still insisted on removing me from my seat."
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He expressed his confusion over the situation, asking if the reason behind his removal was based on racial, national, or other biases.
The altercation, which was captured by a fellow passenger, shows the flight attendant explaining that Nurmagomedov could not sit in the exit row.
The staff member is heard saying, "We cannot allow you to sit in the exit row […] I am not going to do this back and forth. I’ll go call a supervisor. You can either take a different seat or we can go ahead and escort you off the plane."
To this, Nurmagomedov, who had complied with all check-in procedures prior to boarding, responded, "It’s not fair." He further emphasized that he had been asked about his English proficiency during check-in, to which he had confirmed understanding. "Then why do you guys do this?" he questioned.
Despite Nurmagomedov’s attempt to resolve the issue, the flight attendant’s supervisor remained unsatisfied with his response. The supervisor offered an alternative seat or the option to take another flight, but security was called shortly after, leading to Nurmagomedov being escorted off the plane.
The exact timing of the incident remains unclear, and as of now, Frontier Airlines has not issued a public statement addressing the matter.
Nurmagomedov, who retired from mixed martial arts in 2020 after an illustrious career, has yet to comment further on the situation. However, his post on X has ignited discussions about the treatment of high-profile individuals and the role racial biases may play in such disputes.
