Why was Khabib Nurmagomedov removed from flight? Daniel Cormier, Hasbulla, and others "boycott" airlines after controversy

UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov was removed from a flight while traveling to support his teammate Islam Makhachev for UFC 311. The former UFC lightweight champion was en route to San Fransisco from Las Vegas when the incident occurred.

Despite being cleared for his seat, Nurmagomedov found himself embroiled in a confrontation with the airline staff, leading to his removal from the aircraft. The MMA community banded together in support while speculating on the reason behind the incident.

For the full story on Nurmagomedov's removal from the flight, check out the details below:

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Khabib Nurmagomedov removed from flight after emergency exit row

Khabib Nurmagomedov was seated in the emergency exit row of the Frontier Airlines plane which led to the confrontation with the airline staff. Despite being cleared for the seat during check-in, the crew expressed discomfort and asked him to move.

The Russian, who remained calm and respectful throughout the exchange, refused to change seats, insisting he was capable of assisting in an emergency and understood the flight’s safety procedures. However, the situation escalated, and Khabib was eventually escorted off the plane.

He later took to social media to explain his side of the story. He described the interaction with the flight crew as unpleasant, with one staff member being rude from the start despite his willingness to cooperate. Nurmagomedov issued a statement on social media, writing:

"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."

Nurmagomedov added:

"What was the base for that, racial, national or other one, I’m not sure. 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."

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's statement below:

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MMA community reacts to Khabib Nurmagomedov's viral flight removal

The MMA community quickly reacted to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s flight removal, with several notable figures censuring the staff for their behavior.

Daniel Cormier, Michael Chandler, and Belal Muhammad were among those who voiced their opinions on the incident. Nurmagomedov's coach reacted to the incident on the Javier Mendez Podcast, stating:

"He just walked out and didn't say anything, didn't complain and just walked out. He didn't say anything to me [even after the incident]. It happened last week, he didn't say a peep."

Check out Javier Mendez's comments below:

Retired American referee John McCarthy strongly condemned the situation and demanded an apology from the airlines:

"Have to say that @TeamKhabib deserves an apology from whatever airline he was ejected from. The man speaks English well and there is not a more capable person on that plane to help others in an emergency situation than the man that was sitting in that exit row seat. Someone screwed up here and it wasn’t the Eagle!"

Teammate Daniel Cormier dropped a three-word reaction to the incident, writing:

"That's really bad."

Internet sensation Hasbulla also reacted to the incident with a two-word reaction:

"Boycott Organization."

Michael Chandler couldn't fathom the staff's behavior towards Nurmagomedov and wrote:

"Can you imagine, an emergency happens on your plane and you would prefer a “perfect” speaking human instead of one of the greatest athletes of all time because you’re “uncomfortable” with his ability to speak English(which is very good, btw) - this is bizarre. Not only was he the most physically capable human being on the plane but I’m pretty sure the ONLY qualification to sitting in the exit row is being able to say the word “yes.”

Check out some of the reactions below:

MMA community reacts to Khabib Nurmagomedov's airplane incident. [Images courtesy: Accounts on X]