In January, earlier this year, Khabib Nurmagomedov had an issue with Frontier Airlines while flying from Las Vegas to San Francisco. The problem started over his exit row seat. According to FAA rules, passengers in the emergency row must speak fluent English. However, the airline staff questioned Khabib’s fluency, even though he was clearly fluent in English.
Unfortunately, Khabib couldn’t convince them, and security had to escort him off the plane. Months later, during his recent flight from Dubai to Dagestan, Islam Makhachev couldn’t resist making a joke about the incident.
Islam Makhachev Trolls Khabib, Jokes About Getting Escorted Off the Plane
Khabib Nurmagomedov has been a mentor and close friend to Islam Makhachev throughout his MMA career. Both have trained together for years at Eagle MMA in Dagestan, under the guidance of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Khabib’s late father and one of the most respected coaches in MMA history. They’ve always respected each other, but they never back down from teasing and joking around.
Recently, though, it was Islam who took the chance to crack a joke. As Khabib’s close friend, protégé, and successor, Islam found the whole airplane incident funny. He shared a photo of himself sitting in the emergency exit row with a friend on his lap. He captioned it, “We flew to Dagestan like this 😂 and no one kicked us off the plane,” playfully poking fun at Khabib’s flight drama.
As the story spread across the internet, fans couldn’t help but join in on the laughter in the comment section on Twitter.
MMA Community Reacts to Islam Makhachev Trolling Khabib Nurmagomedov
This kind of playful teasing isn’t something UFC fans see every day, so they couldn’t help but enjoy the moment. On Twitter, one fan joked, “They’re always snuggled up to each other lol,” while another added, “Just casually trolling Khabib lol. Uh-oh, this feels like beef between number 11 and 15.” A third fan chimed in, “Islam got jokes. Best guy!”
Islam got jokes. Best guy!
— Backspace (@Backspa05796760) May 9, 2025
They are always snuggled up to each other lol
— Jiri Ferguson (@jiriferg) May 9, 2025
Just casually trolling khabib lol uh-oh this feels like number 11 and number 15 beef
— Skrumpy420 (@Skrumpy420) May 9, 2025
Still, not everyone saw it the same way. Some fans found the photo a bit awkward. One commented, “Why do these bros touch each other like that 😂” Another user agreed, saying, “I’m just surprised they’re not naked and butt-licking each other.”
I’m just surprised they’re not naked and butt licking each other
— Mr. Sarcastic Logic (@Sarcasm_n_logic) May 9, 2025
Why do these bros touch each other like that 😂
— Dylan C ⚡️ (@cappercrypto) May 9, 2025
With all the fun and jokes flying around, one thing is still missing: Nurmagomedov must respond to this joke. Otherwise, this moment will feel incomplete.
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