Former UFC champion and Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov found himself in an unexpected situation during a recent flight in the United States. The incident, which was captured on video by fellow passengers, shows Nurmagomedov being removed from a plane following a dispute over emergency exit row seating.
The situation unfolded when a flight attendant approached Nurmagomedov, who was seated in the emergency exit row, to confirm whether he could assist other passengers in case of an emergency – a standard protocol for emergency row seating. According to witnesses, there appeared to be some communication difficulties during this exchange.
“We cannot allow you to sit in the exit row or you’re gonna have to get off this plane,” the flight attendant can be heard saying in the footage. Nurmagomedov responded, “It’s not fair,” explaining that he had already confirmed his English proficiency during check-in.
“When I was in check-in, they asked me do I know English… and I say yes. Then why you guys do this?” Nurmagomedov questioned.
The situation escalated when the flight attendant, attempting to resolve the matter, offered alternative seating options. “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 ask for you off the plane,” she stated.
Following the intervention of a supervisor, Nurmagomedov was ultimately asked to leave the aircraft, with his teammates following suit. The incident occurred as the group was reportedly heading to Los Angeles for UFC 311.
This isn’t the first time Nurmagomedov has encountered travel-related challenges in the United States. Previously, his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, experienced visa issues that prevented him from attending several of his son’s early UFC appearances.
“He has a little bit problem, they cancel his visa. I don’t understand why,” Nurmagomedov had stated in 2017 regarding his father’s situation. “When I sign in 2012 to fight in UFC, he never can come and support me because we have problem with visa.”
