Shara Magomedov took time away from his last fight camp to defend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
'Bullet' will face Michael 'Venom' Page in a highly anticipated middleweight clash set for February 1 in Saudi Arabia.
However, he has temporarily pulled himself away from training to join a wave of fans who reacted angrily to UFC Khabib Nurmagomedov's recent treatment on a Frontier Airlines flight.
'The Eagle' was deemed an unsuitable candidate for the exit row seat before being escorted off the plane when he protested the decision to transfer him.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC and Khabib Nurmagomedov and flight attendant (right)
MMA fans hijack airline's social media post
As footage of the incident began circulating on social media, Khabib Nurmagomedov issued a statement describing his side of the story.
Frontier Airlines hasn't addressed Nurmagomedov's bad experiences, but they have seemingly supported their flight crew with a new social media post.
It reads: “Serving a smile at 10,000 meters and making every kilometer unforgettable.
“From takeoff to landing, our crew is on hand to ensure your journey is completed with care, comfort and a little extra fun along the way.”
The post of praise for their staff couldn't have come at a worse time for the company.
Angry MMA fans flooded the comments section to call them out for their alleged mistreatment of one of the greatest fighters of all time.
Magomedov's comment about three clown emojis received more than 11,000 likes.
One fan said: “This caption is literally a joke.”
Another wrote: “They better make a public apology before this goes viral.”
A third added: “Time to boycott Fly Frontier.”
Someone else promised: “We will put you out of business.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov issues statement on flight video
In a statement on social media, Nurmagomedov explained what happened when he tried to travel to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311.
“First of all, I must clarify that it was [Frontier Airlines] and not [Alaska Airlines]” he wrote in a lengthy Instagram post
“Lady who comes to me with questions was very rude from the beginning, even though I speak English very well and can understand everything to help, she still insists on removing me from my seat.
“What the basis for that was, racial, national or something else, I'm not sure.
“But after a two-minute conversation, she called security and then I was kicked off this plane [1.5 hours] I boarded another airline and headed to my destination.
“I did my best to remain calm and respectful, as you can see in the video. But those crew members can do better next time and just be nice to the customers.”
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