Earlier this week, UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan was caught on camera while being escorted off a flight from Los Angeles to Philadelphia.
Now, American Airlines, the carrier involved, has issued a statement regarding the incident.
In a brief statement to MMA Fighting, the airline wrote “On April 16, American Airlines flight 513 returned to the gate at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for customers who refused to follow federal regulations.”
“Safety is our top priority and we expect our customers to comply with crew member instructions while on board our aircraft, which include staying seated while the aircraft is taxiing.”
Widely circulated footage of Tsarukyan being escorted off the plane led many to suggest that the fighter had been using his phone contrary to takeoff procedures, but it appears to issue involved the lightweight refusing to take his seat. Specifically, his assigned seat.
Arman Tsarukyan was reportedly just kicked off an American Airlines flight because he was "looking at his phone during takeoff" 😬
(via @AdamZubayraev) pic.twitter.com/X2mRiKsCHR
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 16, 2026
Additional footage of the incident shows Tsarukyan in a verbal exchange with a flight attendant, saying “I’m sorry, we cannot fly because I’m seated in the wrong seat? I’m gonna tell everybody.”
Tsarukyan is no stranger to controversy, and the last year and a half has seen him back out of a title fight, get into an altercation with fans, headbutt Dan Hooker at weigh-ins, and spark a brawl at a Real American Freestyle event. None of these seem to be helping his case to get back to a title fight in the UFC.
