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Magomed “Chanko” Zaynukov Shuts Down UFC Qatar Fight Rumors: “I Didn’t Sign Any Contract”
Magomed “Chanko” Zaynukov says he will not fight Manoel Sousa at UFC Qatar in November. The lightweight addressed reports of the matchup on Instagram Stories, saying he never signed for the bout and will spend the rest of 2026 recovering from surgery.
“I didn’t sign any contract,” Zaynukov wrote. “I won’t be fighting this year due to surgery. I’m currently undergoing rehabilitation and recovery.” His update settles the question of whether he plans to compete on the November 21 card, though it does not give a date for his return.
Magomed “Chanko” Zaynukov has denied reports of an upcoming fight against Manoel Sousa at UFC Qatar this November.
“I didn’t sign any contract,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories.
“I won’t be fighting this year due to surgery. I’m currently undergoing rehabilitation and… pic.twitter.com/qIIgwCF8le
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) September 27, 2026
Magomed “Chanko” Zaynukov Injured
The Sousa matchup had circulated as a reported addition to the event in Doha. Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana was credited with the initial report, and other outlets subsequently listed the fight as part of the card. Zaynukov’s statement makes an important distinction: he is denying that he signed a contract, rather than announcing a withdrawal from a bout he had agreed to take. UFC Fight Night is scheduled for November 21 at Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena.
It will be the promotion’s second event in Qatar, following its first visit last year. The show is going ahead; it is Zaynukov‘s place on the card that he has ruled out. The timing had made the rumored pairing easy to understand. Zaynukov, 31, is unbeaten at 9-0 and won his UFC debut in July. Sousa, a Brazilian lightweight with a 15-1 record, has won twice in the UFC this year. He knocked out Bolaji Oki in the third round in March, then beat Richie Miranda by unanimous decision in August.
A meeting would have put two recent Dana White’s Contender Series contract winners across from one another. Zaynukov earned his UFC deal by beating Lucas Caldas on the Contender Series. When he finally entered the Octagon at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25, fellow newcomer Damian Rzepecki arrived unbeaten, too. Zaynukov left with a unanimous-decision win and handed the Polish fighter his first professional loss. All three judges scored it 30-27. It was more than a clean set of scorecards.
Rzepecki pressed into the clinch early, but Zaynukov landed knees and later opened a cut with elbows. He kept attacking Rzepecki’s lead leg and maintained control through the final round. That performance moved his MMA record to 9-0 and gave fans a look at what his striking could do against UFC opposition. Zaynukov had an audience before that debut. He trains with Islam Makhachev, while the nickname “Chanko” helped make him familiar to MMA fans online. Those connections drew attention to a potential second UFC appearance, but they do not change his present plans: rehabilitation comes first.
Zaynukov did not specify the procedure or offer a timetable beyond saying he will not fight again this year. A report described the surgery as treatment for a lingering hand injury and said he has resumed training, but his own message made no promise about when he will be ready to compete. Sousa’s next opponent, if he remains on the Qatar card, has yet to be established.