Khabib Nurmagomedov removed from flight after dispute over exit row seat

Khabib Nurmagomedov, a former UFC champion, was removed from a Frontier Airlines flight following a disagreement over his seating in an exit row. In a statement on X, previously known as Twitter, Nurmagomedov expressed that he was asked to leave the aircraft despite agreeing to assist the crew during an evacuation. He suggested that the decision might have been influenced by factors such as race or nationality.

Nurmagomedov recounted that after two minutes of discussion with a flight attendant, security was called, and he exited the plane. He later took another flight with a different airline to reach his destination. "I did my best to stay calm and respectful," he said regarding the incident.

Frontier Airlines acknowledged the event and stated it is under investigation. The airline informed Simple Flying that they refunded affected customers and would follow up directly with them. Frontier emphasized that their actions were not related to Nurmagomedov's ethnicity and noted compliance with FAA regulations.