Khabib Nurmagomedov's Travel Trouble

Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC Lightweight Champion, faced an unexpected travel hurdle on his journey to Los Angeles for UFC 311. The MMA superstar found himself kicked off a flight from Las Vegas to L.A. just days before he was slated to corner his fighters during two critical title bouts.

The Incident

Footage captured on mobile phones reveals a heated exchange between Nurmagomedov and a flight attendant about whether he understood the responsibilities associated with sitting next to the emergency exit. The situation escalated when the attendant inquired if he could comply with emergency protocol, which involves following crew commands and potentially assisting in opening the emergency exit. Due to a reported language barrier, Nurmagomedov initially struggled to grasp the request, prompting the attendant to suggest he switch seats.

Flight Attendant's Remarks

In the recorded conversation, the flight attendant can be heard stating, “Okay, so what we’re gonna do is we either gonna have you switch your seats, because my flight attendants are not allowing you to sit in the exit row, or you’re gonna have to get off this plane.” Khabib, visibly frustrated, responded, “When I was in check-in, they asked me do I know English, and I said yes. Then why you guys do this?” The attendant explained that the decision was based on crew judgments for passenger safety, and she threatened to call a supervisor if the situation couldn't be resolved.

Escorted Off the Plane

Ultimately, Nurmagomedov was escorted off the plane. Depending on the status of his booking, he may need to find alternative transportation methods to reach Los Angeles. With wildfires currently impacting parts of California, we can only hope he doesn't have to return to Las Vegas instead.

Fight Week Plans

This incident marks an unfortunate kickoff to “The Eagle”’s fight week, where he is set to support both lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and bantamweight challenger Umar Nurmagomedov as they face off for their championship titles on Saturday, January 18th. Fans are eagerly waiting to see if these title fights will soar to new heights or be overshadowed by Khabib's travel debacle. Stay tuned for updates on UFC 311!