Portrait of Khabib Nurmagomedov

Photo: Airotcivss · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Born in Russia · Nationality Russian — MMA / sporting discipline / taxation / business

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Documented profile covering 5 controversies, including “2018: mass brawl after UFC 229 — Khabib jumps out of cage and receives nine-month suspension and $500,000 fine” and “2021: Khabib calls ring girls the 'most useless people' in combat sports”.

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Profile No. 1657 · Updated on 12 October 2026

Portrait of Khabib Nurmagomedov

Photo: Airotcivss · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

5Documented controversies
7Sources
0Formal charge · all time
0Conviction

I. Documented controversies

01

2023–July 2025

2023–2025: Legionfarm NFT dispute — counterclaims, then confidential settlement and public apology by Legionfarm

Civil / administrative proceedings

Nurmagomedov sued Legionfarm, claiming that the company had failed to pay him in full at least $3 million due for an NFT project using his name and image. Legionfarm counterclaimed for several million dollars. In 2025, the matter was settled confidentially, and Legionfarm published an apology, accepting responsibility for failing to meet its obligations.

State of the evidence
Settlement

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    Chambers and Partners / AZA press releaseAZA Favorably Resolves Multi-Million Dollar Litigation for UFC Champion Khabib NurmagomedovPress releaseMedium reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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02

July 2024–August 2025

2024–2025: substantial Russian tax claims, frozen accounts and enforcement measures — subsequently regularised

Civil / administrative proceedings

Russian tax authorities initiated measures concerning taxes, penalties and interest on foreign income from 2019 to 2021. Accounts were frozen, and enforcement proceedings involved nearly 79.4 million roubles, while some media cited much higher gross amounts. Khabib's representative stated in August 2024 that the dispute had been regularised following appeals and payment; further small balances were reported in 2025 before a complete regularisation was announced in August.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Personally implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
  2. [2]

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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03

11–13 January 2025

2025: removed from Frontier flight after emergency exit seat dispute

No legal proceedings

Nurmagomedov was removed from a Frontier flight between Las Vegas and San Francisco following an exchange with the crew concerning his ability and willingness to assist in an emergency from an exit-row seat. The video went viral.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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04

August–September 2021

2021: Khabib calls ring girls the 'most useless people' in combat sports

No legal proceedings

Asked about the absence of ring girls in his Eagle FC promotion, Nurmagomedov described them as the most useless people in martial arts. UFC ring girls and female fighters, including Arianny Celeste and Valentina Shevchenko, publicly rejected his remarks.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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05

6 October 2018–29 January 2019

2018: mass brawl after UFC 229 — Khabib jumps out of cage and receives nine-month suspension and $500,000 fine

Civil / administrative proceedings

After defeating Conor McGregor at UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov climbed out of the cage to confront Dillon Danis, triggering a brawl involving both camps. The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended him for nine months and fined him $500,000.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

  • Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
  • Line width: number of documented references
  • Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (1)
  1. Conor McGregor1 documented reference

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