Islam Makhachev is set to welcome yet another teammate to the UFC roster next month as one of his most popular sparring partners makes his debut.
Magomed Zaynukov has become a beloved meme online for a common mishearing of his ‘Chanco’ nickname. Fans claimed that the way Makhachev pronounced it in a video with Demetrious Johnson made his ring name sound like ‘John Pork’, and he has since become famous beyond expectations.
Zaynukov earned his spot on the UFC roster last year when he scored a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series. And his star power was made clear when he joined Makhachev in New York for UFC 322 fight week and was inundated by fans and crowd chants.
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Islam Makhachev teammate Magomed Zaynukov set for UFC Abu Dhabi debut
There had been some whispers that Zaynukov, who last fought in October of 2025, would get to share the UFC 330 card with his teammate Islam Makhachev. However, Marcel Dorff is now reporting that he will be fighting at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25 instead.
The undefeated Dagestani will put his 8-0 record on the line against fellow unbeaten star Damian Rzepecki on the card in the Middle East. ‘The Butcher’ is 10-0 and most recently scored a win on Ilia Topuria’s WOW FC promotion in Spain.
Zaynukov is better known as a striker than a grappler, and while he has yet to step inside the UFC octagon he has already had a fight at a major UFC event. He infamously was one of the key figures involved in a cageside brawl at Makhachev’s fight with Dillon Danis.