
Former UFC lightweight champion and Hall of Fame member Khabib Nurmagomedov was forced off an Frontier Airlines flight on Saturday, leading to calls for a “transparent probe” by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
In video circulated on social media on Sunday, the retired MMA star and current coach can be seen in a conversation with an unnamed Frontier Air employee, who states that Nurmagomedov must switch seats, as a flight attendant is “uncomfortable” with him sitting next to an exit door.
The employee in question gives but two options: agree to move, or be forced from the flight. “What we’re going to do is we’re either going to have you switch your seat because my flight attendants are not allowing you to sit in the exit row or you’re going to have to get off this plane,” she states, responding “because they’re not comfortable with you sitting in the exit row” when asked why the move is required.
It appears that on the surface, the crew may be claiming concern over whether Nurmagomedov, a Dagestani, would be able to assist other passengers in case of emergency. The retired pro athlete speaks English, and has handled press conferences and media obligations without a translator for years.
“I’m not going to do this back and forth. I will call a supervisor. You can either take a different seat or we can go ahead and escort you off the plane,” the airline employee states before the video clip ends, with Khabib getting up and leaving his seat, apparently exiting on his own accord.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was kicked off a flight after an interaction with the staff😳‼️ pic.twitter.com/1tXK6FBilw
— Combat Casuals (@Combat_Casuals) January 12, 2025
In response to the incident, CAIR, who state they are the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, has called for an independent, transparent probe.
CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement issued Sunday that “We call on Alaska Airlines and the U.S. Department of Transportation to swiftly and transparently investigate this incident to determine exactly what happened on this flight and why athlete and Muslim advocate Khabib Nurmagomedov was treated this way and whether religious or racial profiling played a role in his treatment.
“Given how often incidents of racial and religious profiling occur on airlines, especially against travelers who are noticeably Muslim, Alaska Airlines should also publicly release the results of its investigation and take appropriate action to address any misconduct or mistakes by its staff.”
Cageside Press reached out to Frontier Airlines for comment, and for information on what caused the incident, and whether they had any response to CAIR’s request for an inquiry. In response, a Frontier’s Senior Corporate Communications Director, Jennifer F. de la Cruz, provided the following statement:
“We are aware of the incident and are investigating. We have refunded the customers and will follow up with them directly.”
Nurmagomedov is expected to be on hand when friend and teammate Islam Makhachev defends his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in Inglewood, CA this coming Saturday. Cousin Umar Nurmagomedov will also be in action, challenging Merab Dvalishvili in the night’s co-main event.
Update, 6PM ET: Khabib Nurmagomedov has issued a statement clarifying that the airline in question was Frontier, not Alaska Airlines. Story has been updated to reflect. Khabib’s full statement is below:
“First of all, I need to clarify that it was Fly Frontier not Alaska Air. 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. But after 2 minutes of conversation, she called security and I was deplaned from this aircraft, after 1.5 hour I boarded another airline 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.”
Update, 8:30PM ET: Story updated to include statement from Frontier Airlines.