Khabib Nurmagomedov Expelled From Plane

Khabib Nurmagomedov was expelled from a plane in the United States (Instagram/@khabib_nurmagomedov).

JAKARTA Former UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov issued a statement after he was kicked out of a Frontier Airlines plane while flying in the United States.

The incident occurred when Khabib was about to leave Las Vegas for California on Saturday, January 11, 2025. He aims to accompany Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov to fight in UFC 311.

Khabib decided to leave the plane after he was asked to move seats from near the emergency door to another seat. He had time to argue with the flight attendants who came to him before leaving and changing airlines.

The incident occurred because the flight attendants were not sure about Khabib's English skills. The reason is, passengers sitting near the emergency door must know well the instructions in case of an emergency situation.

Khabib in his statement on social media X regretted the incident because he could speak English and was willing to help in the event of an emergency. However, he even got bad treatment.

"The woman who came to me with the very harsh question from the start even though I speak English very well and can understand everything and agree to help," she wrote.

In the footage circulating on social media, Khabib initially remained on the stance to sit on the chair. He was also seen exchanging words with the flight attendant before being with his partner to withdraw.

Khabib said that he felt he was being treated unfairly in the incident. He suspects there is racial sentiment towards him.

"He still insisted on moving me out of my seat. What is the basis for that. Ras, nationality, or something else, I don't believe this could happen."

"However, after two minutes of arguing, he called the security department and I got off the plane."

"I try my best to remain calm and respectful as you can in the video."

"However, the crew must do better next time and be kind to clients," Khabib wrote.

The American-Islamic Relations Council (CAIR) also issued a statement in support of Khabib after the incident. They demanded an investigation into the airline's policies and behavior.