Poor flight experiences are nothing new for the rest of us. But when you are denied the chance to experience them firsthand, the story is entirely different. Khalil Rountree Jr. was set to host a Muay Thai and MMA seminar in Phuket, Thailand, this weekend. As such, the No. 4-ranked UFC light heavyweight was set to fly out of South Korea with his wife, Mia Kang. However, when the former title challenger arrived at the airport to catch his flight, authorities blocked him from boarding the plane. The reason?

His passport looked a bit scruffy. As a result, the organizers have decided to postpone the seminar. The UFC star shared his frustration on Instagram over the fiasco.

“Hundreds of thousands of miles on it but definitely not damaged,” Khalil Rountree Jr. wrote on his Instagram story, sharing a photo of his passport that appeared fine on the surface.

He then followed it up with a video update on Instagram, where he apologized for the last-minute cancellation and shared the new seminar date.

“All right, guys, big news update. I’m currently at the airport in Korea, boarding my flight,” said Khalil Rountree Jr. “Well, trying to board my flight to get to you guys in Phuket. Apparently, they’re saying my passport is too damaged to allow me into Phuket before I even get there.

“Anyway, long story short, I’ve got to push the seminar back to next weekend. It’s super unfortunate, and I’m sorry, guys. This is very frustrating for everybody who is as excited as I am. We’ve got to push this back… I just want to keep you guys updated and let you know that the seminar will still happen just at a later date.”

The two-day seminar was set to mark an important moment in Khalil Rountree Jr.’s career. The event poster states that both sessions cost 5,500 THB in total, which is equivalent to $168.53 USD. However, the sudden setback now forces fans to wait for further updates on the rescheduled dates in Thailand.

What makes the situation even more surprising is that Korean airport authorities flagged Rountree’s passport as damaged despite his recent travel history. Just a week earlier, he traveled to California before heading to Korea, where he trained with fellow UFC stars like Khamzat Chimaev. In fact, he arrived in South Korea only a few days ago to work with his teammates, including former UFC star Dong Hyun Kim. At the time, he likely didn’t expect any issues with his travel plans.

Still, this situation adds to a list of similar incidents involving UFC fighters and airlines. In January last year, shortly after the New Year, UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov encountered issues while traveling to California for UFC 311 with Frontier Airlines. Nurmagomedov claimed airline staff removed him from the flight following a seat dispute, which he described as involving “rude” behavior. Fellow passengers recorded the incident, and the video quickly spread across social media.

At the time, the controversy drew major attention, with some suggesting racial discrimination because of Nurmagomedov’s Russian background. However, Frontier Airlines denied the allegations and stated they were unsure whether he could understand English while seated in an exit row. Although the issue eventually faded, such incidents still come up whenever UFC fighters face airline or airport trouble.

For now, organizers at Bangtao Muay Thai have listed Rountree Jr.’s seminar as “postponed.” They have also shared updates on the rescheduled sessions.

New details emerge on Khalil Rountree Jr.’s rescheduled Phuket seminar

Khalil Rountree Jr. has built his reputation as a serious force in the MMA world through his striking inside the cage. However, he faced several setbacks early in his UFC run, which forced him to rethink his approach. Those challenges, in turn, pushed Rountree to refine his skill set, especially his Muay Thai, to compete at the highest level.

That growth explains why fans and up-and-coming fighters now look to learn from him. Many now want to train alongside Rountree through his seminars. Despite the recent setback, though, there is no real cause for concern. Organizers at Bangtao Muay Thai have already shared an update on the new seminar date.

“Update on the Khalil Rountree Jr. seminar this weekend,” the post reads. “Due to unforeseen travel issues, Khalil has been unable to board his flight to Thailand. The event will now be postponed to next weekend. We know a lot of you have already made plans around this, so we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.”

Back in 2019, Rountree Jr. made a key decision to travel to Thailand and fully commit to Muay Thai training. That move, in fact, changed the course of his career. Since then, he has continued to evolve, turning Muay Thai into a core part of his identity as a fighter.