Dana White gives UFC 311 update amid L.A. fires, Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to plane incident, Islam Makhachev taps out YouTuber: MMA News Roundup

Dana White shared an update on whether UFC 311 will go ahead in Los Angeles as the city continues to be engulfed by wildfires. Elsewhere, Khabib Nurmagomedov issued a statement on being escorted out of an airplane.

Here are your top combat sports updates from today.

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Dana White gives a significant update on UFC 311

Dana White says UFC 311 is happening at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California on Jan. 18 despite the raging wildfires. Fans have been concerned all week about the pay-per-view event, which features Islam Makhachev in the main event defending his lightweight belt against Arman Tsarukyan.

In a video shared by YouTuber Adin Ross, the UFC CEO said:

"Well, if the fire gets bad, we are coming to Vegas... But as of now? It’s all go. The NBA is gonna go this week. We are gonna go."

The Los Angeles Rams recently moved their NFC playoff clash from home ground SoFi Stadium which is across from Intuit Dome.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov issues statement on being removed from airplane

Khabib Nurmagomedov was removed from an airplane en route to Los Angeles that he presumably boarded to attend UFC 311. His proteges Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov are set to compete in title fights against Arman Tsarukyan and Merab Dvalishvili respectively at the event.

Before takeoff, Nurmagomedov was asked to change seats or get off the plane by a flight attendant after the cabin crew deemed him unfit to sit in the emergency aisle. Despite the former UFC fighter insisting that he was fluent in English and was capable of helping people in a crisis, the staff pressed on and eventually escorted him off the airplane.

The incident sparked internet-wide outrage from fellow athletes, fans, and the general public. His close associates, including Daniel Cormier, Javier Mendez, and Belal Muhammad have spoken out against what is being considered an alleged "racial profiling" by the airline company.

'The Eagle' took to social media a day after it happened to issue his statement:

"First of all, I need to clarify that it was @flyfrontier not AlaskaAir. Lady who comes to me with questions was very rude from the very beginning, even though I speak very decent English and can understand everything and agreed to assist, she still insists on removing me from my seat. What was the base for that, racial, national or other one, I’m not sure."

He went on:

"But after 2 minutes of conversation, she called security and I was deplaned from this aircraft, after 1,5 hour I boarded another airline one and left to my destination. I did my best to stay calm and respectful as you can see on the video. But those crew members could do better next time and just be nice with clients."

Frontier Airlines, the company responsible, issued a single-line statement after Nurmagomedov's post:

"We are aware of the incident and are investigating."

The airliner was already getting bombarded with criticism following the incident. Their statement drew even more fire, including threats of boycott and demands for a public apology at the very least.

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Islam Makhachev chokes out Adin Ross

Adin Ross has been hanging out with Islam Makhachev ahead of UFC 311. The YouTuber has released a variety of content featuring the UFC lightweight champion in a cheery mood while training and sparring for the upcoming title fight.

In the latest video, Ross asked if he could try to choke out Makhachev. The Dagestani readily agrees and proceeds to guide Ross on how to get a chokehold on him. However, taking advantage of the social media star's lack of MMA knowledge, Makhachev gets Ross to cross his legs around his waist. Ross falls for it and Makhachev immediately turns the table, leaving the YouTuber shrieking in pain.

Watch the video shared by @Home_of_Fight below: