Whether you call him “Chanco” or “John Pork,” Magomed Zaynukov is a name to watch in the UFC lightweight division.
The Team Nurmagomedov prospect put in a dominant performance Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi, outworking and out-striking fellow debutant Damian Rzepecki en route to a lopsided unanimous decision win.
There was plenty of hype surrounding the undefeated Zaynukov (9-0) ahead of his octagon debut, due to his impressive Dana White Contender Series performance this past October, his association with UFC greats Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, and a popular meme comparing him to social media character John Pork (a misinterpretation of his nickname Chanco). Nine months after winning a contract on DWCS, Zaynukov didn’t disappoint in his first official UFC fight.
Facing a fellow undefeated fighter in Rzepecki, Zaynukov controlled the octagon from the start, consistently defending against Rzepecki’s attempts to wrestle and hold him against the fence, and connecting with solid strikes when in space. Zaynukov pulled away in the second round, bloodying Rzepecki with a stiff elbow in the clinch.
Though Zaynukov’s output slowed in Round 3, his superior striking and impressive clinch work carried him to a decision win with all three judges scoring it 30-27 in the Russian fighter’s favor.
Zaynukov’s debut was only marred by an unfortunate eye poke in the opening round, though Rzepecki was able to continue and Zaynukov escaped with only a warning from referee Marc Goddard.
In his post-fight interview, Zaynukov took a shot at former UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, referencing his rivalry with Zaynukov’s team and Rzepecki having sparred with Topuria in the past.
“Hey, Ilia Topuria, I just wanted to make sure to come out here and do my work… he was saying he was from the team of Ilia Topuria,” Zaynukov said via a Russian translator. “I’m from the camp of Nurmagomedov. I come from the school of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. We do not care who we fight. We will take anyone!”
