Khabib Nurmagomedov’s longtime coach shares ‘stupid’ detail from viral airplane incident

UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov was removed from a Frontier Airlines flight earlier this year in a clip that went viral on social media.

Khabib Nurmagomedov unintentionally made headlines earlier this year when the UFC Hall of Famer was famously removed from the exit row of a Frontier Airlines flight. Reactions from the likes of UFC CEO Dana White, former rival Dustin Poirier, and others scolded the company for its controversial actions.

Nurmagomedov, regarded by many as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, hasn’t discussed the incident in detail since it occurred. Since retiring from fighting in 2020, Nurmagomedov remains active in combat sports as one of the top coaches in modern MMA.

Months removed from the incident, Nurmagomedov’s longtime coach revealed a bizarre detail that irritates the former UFC champion to this day.

Coach: Security asked Khabib Nurmagomedov to take a picture after viral incident

During a recent appearance on the Hikmat Wehbi Podcast,  coach Javier Mendez shared a bizarre detail from Nurmagomedov’s viral removal from the flight.

“So basically what happened [is that] they escorted him out and he goes, ‘I just need you guys to explain to me why, I’m capable of doing this,’” Mendez said of Nurmagomedov. “And, they said no, you either change seats or you’re off the plane. Then after that, they just wanted him off the plane.

“And the one thing that Khabib said that really irritated him, and the whole thing was a fiasco, but what irritated the most was the security guard was doing what he was supposed to do, kicking him out, not understanding, not even listening to Khabib. … So he didn’t listen to Khabib at all, but at the very end, the security guard wanted a picture with him. They knew who he was. They’re stupid.

“They’re very stupid, and they deserve what they get ” Mendez continued. “So Khabib, now he’s irritated because, ‘You know who I am, so you’re treating me like this.‘” (h/t MMA Fighting)

Nurmagomedov entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022 alongside his longtime friend and teammate Daniel Cormier. He’s expected to be in New York City for Islam Makhachev’s upcoming fight against Jack Della Maddalena at Madison Square Garden.

As of this writing, it’s uncertain if Frontier Airlines has reached out to Nurmagomedov to make amends since the viral incident.