Khabib Nurmagomedov, the legendary former UFC lightweight champion from Russia was removed from a Frontier Airlines flight traveling from Las Vegas to San Francisco on January 11.

The now-viral video of the incident has left many online users questioning the airline’s decision to remove him. The conflict arose over exit-row seating, where FAA regulations require passengers to confirm their ability and willingness to assist during emergencies.

According to the airline, Khabib didn’t comply with repeated requests from the crew to confirm, leading to his removal when he declined to switch seats. The airline maintains that the decision was based on regulatory compliance and was not related to Khabib’s ethnicity. They also issued refunds for him and his travel companions.

Khabib, however, has pushed back via Twitter, suggesting that racial or national bias could have played a role. Nevertheless, despite his frustration, the mixed martial arts icon remained calm throughout the incident. He is from the Dagestan region of Russia and is a Muslim.

Khabib managed to reach Los Angeles on a later flight, where he is supporting and coaching his teammates Islam Mackhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov in their upcoming UFC title bouts.

This incident has sparked debate about whether the airline staff acted fairly or if there was bias involved. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.