Khabib Nurmagomedov claims rude treatment by staff before being kicked off American airline flight

Incident occurred on a Frontier Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and quickly went viral on social media

Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov claimed he was treated rudely by a cabin crew member before he was escorted off an American airline flight.

The incident, which occurred on a Frontier Airlines flight from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas to Los Angeles last Saturday, quickly went viral on social media.

In a video circulating online, UFC Hall of Famer Nurmagomedov, 36, is seen in a verbal exchange with airline staff while seated in the emergency exit row.

The flight attendant can be heard saying that she could not allow Nurmagomedov to sit there and offered him the option to change seats or leave the plane.

Sharing his experience on X, Nurmagomedov described that despite using polite language and complying with all requests, the woman insisted that he move from his seat.

"First of all, I need to clarify that it was Frontier Airlines, not Alaska Airlines. From the start, the woman who approached me asked questions in a very rude manner," he said on Monday.

Following the exchange, the flight attendant contacted security and former UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov was instructed to leave the plane.

Nurmagomedov, who retired undefeated in 29 fights in 2020 following his victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi and is regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.

The Dagestani native pondered the reason behind being asked to move from his seat, "was it racial, national, or other one?"

Coach Khabib Nurmagomedov with Islam Makhachev during the open workout at Yas Mall on October 19, 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Nurmagomedov was traveling to San Francisco to corner his protege Islam Makhachev, who headlines UFC 311 this Saturday when he defends his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan.

He continued: "I spent 1.5 hours before boarding a flight with another airline and headed to my destination.

"I did my best to stay calm and respectful, as you can see in the video. But the crew member could have handled it better by simply being kind to the customer," Nurmagomedov added.