Official statement or press release from Frontier Airlines

Khabib Nurmagomedov Removed from Frontier Flight Amid Racial Profiling Allegations

Jan 12, 2025, 10:30 PM

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, 36, was removed from a Frontier Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles after a dispute with a flight attendant regarding his seating in the emergency exit row. Flight staff expressed concerns about his ability to assist in an emergency due to language barriers. Nurmagomedov, who speaks English, described the attendant as 'very rude' and disputed the request but was ultimately escorted off the plane. The incident sparked accusations of racial and religious profiling on social media. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called for an investigation into possible discrimination. Frontier Airlines refunded Nurmagomedov's ticket and issued a statement denying that the decision to deplane him was related to his ethnicity, stating that the issue was solely about compliance with safety regulations.