‘I Miss Him So Much’: Magomed ‘Chanco’ Zaynukov Shares Emotional Tribute to Late Father
“Chanco” Magomed Zaynukov is still unbeaten in the cage, but the loss that shapes him most happened long before his UFC debut. In a recent interview clip shared by Red Corner MMA, the Dagestani lightweight spoke at length about his late father and the gap between family pride and spoken approval.
Magomed ‘Chanco’ Zaynukov Opens Up on Late Father’s Hidden Pride
“My father never really praised me personally,” Zaynukov said. “But he always praised me when he talked to his friends or relatives. He just never did that to me in person. Right when I transitioned to MMA, he passed away. I miss him so much, even more so now that I’ve achieved so much and made it to the best league in the world – the UFC. I miss the feeling of him being proud of me.”
The 31‑year‑old Chanco explains that in his household, affection and respect were communicated through what elders said to others, not through direct praise. Only after his father’s death did he fully learn, from relatives and family friends, how often his achievements had been mentioned in those conversations.
Zaynukov’s journey gives those words weight. Born on January 2, 1995, in the mountain village of Chanko in Dagestan, he took his nickname from his hometown and built his name first in Muay Thai rather than wrestling. He became a multiple‑time IFMA world champion, WMC Intercontinental champion and four‑time Russian champion, earning the title of Honored Master of Sports of Russia in Muay Thai.
Only in 2021 did he switch fully to mixed martial arts. Since then he has put together an 8‑0 professional record, with five wins by knockout or TKO and three by decision across promotions like Eagle FC, RCC, AMC Fight Nights and UAE Warriors before earning a Dana White’s Contender Series call‑up. In October 2025, he outworked Lucas Caldas over three rounds on Contender Series, securing a UFC contract and setting a new lightweight Contender Series mark for significant strikes landed according to official records and contemporary reporting.
Much of the early attention around Zaynukov in North America centered on a misheard version of his “Chanco” nickname, which led to the “John Pork” meme. He has since asked fans to drop the joke, citing cultural and religious reasons. Even teammates noticed how fast the spotlight arrived. Islam Makhachev has said the sudden recognition in the United States surprised Zaynukov.
That context makes his comments about his father feel less like a viral moment and more like a window into what is driving him now. The thing he still looks for is a feeling he can no longer receive directly – the quiet approval he believes his father would have shown in his own way.
