Magomed Zaynukov looked like he was just getting started in the UFC. After making an impressive debut and quickly getting fans talking, the Russian was expected to be back in the Octagon before too long with Manoel Sousa reportedly waiting for him. Well, scratch that. After being reportedly lined up for a return at UFC Qatar on November 21, he has now stepped in to shut the whole thing down.

Welterweight kingpin Islam Makhachev‘s teammate revealed that he hasn’t even signed a contract for the fight. And there’s an even bigger reason fans won’t be seeing him compete again anytime soon: he’s recovering from surgery. In fact, the 31-year-old confirmed that he won’t fight again this year as he focuses on getting back to full health.

“I didn’t sign any contract for this fight,” he wrote on his Instagram story. “I won’t be fighting this year due to surgery. I am currently undergoing rehabilitation and recovering.”

That pretty much kills the Zaynukov vs. Sousa rumors for now, with ‘Wild Chanko’ now forced to sit on the sidelines until 2027 before he can add another fight to his UFC record. And honestly, that’s a bit of a bummer considering how much noise the 31-year-old made in his promotional debut.

The Russian stepped into the UFC in July and wasted little time showing why so many people were already keeping an eye on him. He walked away with a unanimous decision win over Damian Rzepecki, putting together a well-rounded performance instead of simply relying on his striking to get the job done.

That win also kept Magomed Zaynukov’s perfect record spotless, moving him to 9-0 as a professional. But the UFC contract didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. ‘Wild Chanko’ punched his ticket to the promotion by beating Lucas Caldas via unanimous decision on Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9, Week 9.

And even before making that walk to the Octagon, Zaynukov already had plenty of eyes on him. A big reason? His connection to Team Khabib. Being part of that camp naturally put the Russian on fans’ radar long before his UFC debut.

Then came the moment that really sent Zaynukov’s name flying across social media. Islam Makhachev once introduced him to Demetrious Johnson as “Chanko,” but plenty of viewers heard something completely different: “John Pork”.

Yep, that’s how the nickname took off. The clip went viral, giving the 31-year-old a whole new wave of attention and making him recognizable to fans who probably had no idea who he was before that.

And the Russian wasn’t done going viral there. He later found himself in another memorable moment at UFC 322 after getting into a cage-side brawl with Dillon Danis, as the event, of course, was headlined by Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena.

For now, though, the viral moments will have to take a back seat. The 31-year-old’s focus is on getting through his recovery, with his next UFC appearance now pushed back to 2027.

But had the rumored fight actually come together, it would have been an interesting matchup for both fighters.

Magomed Zaynukov was set for a major test against Manoel Sousa

Both Manoel Sousa and Magomed Zaynukov took the same road to the UFC, earning their contracts on Dana White’s Contender Series. Sousa got his deal after beating Christian Perez on the show in 2023, while ‘Wild Chanko’ secured his contract with a unanimous decision win over Lucas Caldas.

Had the fight actually happened, Sousa would have walked in with a 13-1 record, while the 31-year-old would have been putting his perfect 9-0 mark on the line.

And that’s what made the rumored matchup pretty interesting. After looking solid in his UFC debut, Magomed Zaynukov was supposed to get another chance to show how he would handle a tougher test.

Zaynukov’s UFC debut also caught the attention of one very important person: Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The Russian revealed that he spoke to the former UFC lightweight champion almost immediately after leaving the Octagon. And while Khabib liked what he saw, he also made sure the 31-year-old knew there was still work to do.

“We spoke immediately after I got out of the cage,” Zaynukov said during his post-fight press conference. “Khabib said, ‘It was a great, exciting, and fun fight, but you missed a takedown, and that’s not okay.'”

Team Dagestan’s coach Javier Mendez has also been impressed by how quickly Zaynukov has been coming along. Speaking to Red Corner MMA in July, Mendez explained that ‘Wild Chanko’ has become a tough training partner for Islam Makhachev, particularly because his ground game has taken a big step forward.

According to Mendez, Magomed Zaynukov can now defend himself, survive bad positions, get back to his feet, and even turn the tables with attacks of his own.

“Chanco gives Islam some really tough rounds because he’s gotten really good at defending and surviving on the ground and getting back up. Or even attacking on the ground,” Mendez said.

Coach Mendez took things a step further, calling the Russian a “total MMA package” and making it clear that fans shouldn’t pigeonhole him as just a Muay Thai fighter.

And honestly, Magomed Zaynukov’s UFC debut backed that up. The 31-year-old showed he has plenty of tools beyond his striking, giving fans a glimpse of why Mendez and the rest of the team have been so high on his development.

Unfortunately for anyone hoping to see Zaynukov build on that momentum before the end of 2026, those plans are now off the table. The Russian will instead spend the rest of the year focused on rehab and getting healthy.

Meanwhile, UFC Qatar still has some interesting fights lined up, with former flyweight title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi set to face Asu Almabayev and Santiago Luna scheduled to take on Ilia Topuria‘s brother, Aleksandre Topuria. The UFC still hasn’t announced which fight will headline the November 21 card.

As for Magomed Zaynukov, though, there’s really only one thing that matters right now. Get healthy, finish the recovery, and come back when he’s ready.