Who knew a misheard pronunciation of someone’s nickname would propel them to global MMA fame? Thanks to Islam Makhachev, his friend and teammate Magomed Zaynukov, better known to MMA fans as ‘John Pork,’ is now one of the most well-known prospects before even fighting in the UFC. Now the undefeated lightweight is finally set to make his much-anticipated UFC debut.

The 31-year-old, who earned his UFC contract after a spectacular victory over Lucas Caldas on Dana White‘s Contender Series in October of last year, will make his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 282 in Abu Dhabi on July 25.

The event, which takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, will mark the promotion’s 23rd visit to the Kingdom and will be headlined by Magomed Ankalaev and Khalil Rountree Jr. in their light heavyweight bout for the top contender status at 205 lbs. While Magomed Zaynukov will be the one to look out for, his opponent is no slouch either.

The Dagestan native will face undefeated Polish prospect Damian Rzepecki, who will also be making his promotional debut on the UFC Abu Dhabi prelims. Neither fighter enters with a blemish on his résumé. Zaynukov enters the Octagon with a professional MMA record of 8-0 while ‘The Butcher’ has amassed a slightly better 10-0 record. Considering that both are undefeated and both are making their UFC debut, the fight promises to bring fireworks to an already stacked card.

In the co-main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, Umar Nurmagomedov will take on David Martinez in a bantamweight showdown, while Brazilian submission specialist Valter Walker will face Thomas Petersen in a heavyweight bout on the main card.

While Magomed Zaynukov will fight on the prelims of the card, which will be streamed on Paramount+, it does not mean there will be any fewer eyes on him.

The reason behind Islam Makhachev’s friend, ‘John Pork,’ aka Magomed Zaynukov’s popularity

The undefeated prospect became an overnight sensation last year when his training partner, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, introduced him to MMA great Demetrious Johnson as “Chanco,” in his thick Russian accent. Fans online misheard the pronunciation as “John Pork,” the name of the viral computer-generated pig meme. The name stuck, and his popularity skyrocketed overnight.

Though he has repeatedly made it clear that he strongly dislikes the name ‘John Pork,’ because of his religious beliefs, there is another reason why he has amassed the fame many UFC veterans can only dream of. That has to do with his highly publicized cageside brawl at Madison Square Garden with promotional troll Dillon Danis at UFC 322 in November last year.

While the brawl prompted an NYPD investigation and forced Dana White to completely ban Danis from attending future UFC events, the brawl itself endeared Zaynukov to MMA fans, many of whom held a strong dislike for Danis.

As such, this will be a bout most MMA fans would tune in for. Despite ‘Wild Chanco’ coming from a camp known for producing exceptional wrestlers, Zaynukov is primarily a striker. He is a decorated kickboxer and a two-time IFMA Muay Thai world champion. This was clearly on full display during his DWCS bout with Lucas Caldas last fall.

Official statistics tracked him landing an astonishing 248 significant strikes across the 15-minute bout, officially setting a new all-time record for the most strikes landed in lightweight history on Dana White’s Contender Series. Impressed by the showing, the UFC CEO immediately handed him a contract.

Earlier reports had claimed that the 31-year-old Dagestan native would likely feature on his training partner’s card at UFC 330 in August in Philadelphia. But now it seems he will make his debut a month earlier in Abu Dhabi.

Zaynukov also joins a short list of fighters who’ve garnered a massive following even before ever stepping inside the UFC Octagon. Bo Nickal famously secured a main card debut right after getting a UFC contract after his second DWCS appearance, thanks to the popularity he had amassed over his wrestling days at Penn State. Similarly, Raul Rosas Jr. also gained massive popularity after his spectacular showing on DWCS in 2022. His win immediately earned him a UFC contract, making him the youngest signee in UFC history at 17 years, 11 months, and 12 days old.

So in that regard, Magomed Zaynukov is in good company, considering that both are still in the UFC and getting popular by the day. While he may not have liked his nickname, he can thank the misheard pronunciation for getting him the limelight that many crave. Now it’s time for him to show he deserves it.