Khabib Nurmagomedov just learned that flight regulations are no game. The UFC lightweight champion had an unpleasant flight experience this weekend when an altercation with the crew of an Alaska Airlines plane resulted in his ejection.
Nurmagomedov is no stranger to controversy. Since rising to prominence with his first championship in 2018, the Russian fighter has constantly made headlines, whether for his affiliation with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and Russian oligarchs or for his controversial statements.
The champion’s most recent controversy went viral when a video showing him being escorted off the aircraft began circulating on social media.
Misunderstanding or racial profiling?
The video begins with a flight attendant approaching Nurmagomedov and warning him, “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.”
The fighter looks upset while claiming that he complied with all boarding protocols. “It’s not fair. When I was in check-in, they asked me if I knew English… and I said yes. Then why do you guys do this?”
The attendant claimed that Nurmagomedov could not sit next to the emergency exit if he was not able to help passengers in the event of an evacuation. When the fighter refused to leave the seat, the attendant called her supervisor and Nurmagomedov ended up being escorted off the plane.
International media reports that the fighter was traveling from Las Vegas to California to attend UFC 311 on January 18. The aftermath of the incident is unknown.