It was meant to be a simple flight, but things quickly changed for Arman Tsarukyan. The top-ranked lightweight contender was taken off an American Airlines flight on April 16 before it could even leave Los Angeles International Airport. He was on his way to Philadelphia for an upcoming fight when the situation unfolded.A video that surfaced online showed Tsarukyan being escorted off the plane along with a few of his friends. At first, there were claims that he was using his phone during takeoff preparation. But later details from the airline made it clear that the issue was different and related to safety rules on board.
Arman Tsarukyan and Urijah Faber fight trip disrupted after airline incident
According to a statement shared by American Airlines with MMA Fighting, the flight had to return to the gate because some passengers did not follow crew instructions. The airline said, “On April 16, American Airlines flight 513 returned to the gate at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for customers who refused to follow federal regulations.”They added, “Safety is our top priority and we expect our customers to comply with crew member instructions while on board our aircraft, which include staying seated while the aircraft is taxiing.”So what really happened? Reports confirmed that Tsarukyan and his group were standing in the aisle while the plane was moving toward the runway. Crew members asked them to sit down in their assigned seats, but they did not follow those instructions. Because of that, the pilot decided to turn the plane back to the gate.In total, four people, including Tsarukyan, were removed from the flight. After that, the plane continued its journey to Philadelphia without any further issues.Soon after the incident, Tsarukyan shared his side in a light-hearted way on Instagram. He posted, “kicked off commercial, I guess private it is.” Later, while boarding another flight, he added, “I hope they’re not going to kick me out from this plane. OK guys, I’ll be five hours in Philadelphia.”Despite the disruption, Tsarukyan still managed to continue his travel plans. He is scheduled to fight Urijah Faber in the co-main event at RAF 8. This will be his fourth appearance in the promotion, following earlier fights against Lance Palmer and Georgio Poullas.The situation did not involve violence, but it clearly showed how strict airlines are about safety rules, especially during taxiing. Even small actions like standing in the aisle at the wrong time can lead to serious consequences.
