"Liaoxipterus" was originally classified by Dong Zhiming and Lü Junchang as a member of the Ctenochasmatidae. Wang and colleagues suggested in 2006 and 2008 that it was actually an istiodactylid instead, an opinion that was accepted by Lü in 2015. In 2008 Lü concluded that "Nurhachius" was a subjective junior synonym of "Liaoxipterus". However, a 2012 analysis by Mark Witton found that these two istiodactylids were not identical and, more importantly, did not group together in a phylogenetic tree. Witton also noted that they did not actually group together in Lü's study either.