Who is John Pork? The UFC’s accidental viral sensation before his first fight – “Wild Chanco” Magomed Zaynukov

Who is the UFC star John Pork? Magomed Zaynukov rose to fame before setting foot in the UFC, but not for the reasons he hoped. The Dagestani lightweight emerged as an unlikely viral sensation after a simple mispronunciation created “John Pork,” a nickname that has followed him like an unwanted shadow since late 2024.

Who is John Pork? Everything about UFC fighter “Wild Chanco” Magomed Zaynukov

As he prepares for his official UFC debut, Zaynukov finds himself in the strange position of running a meme while trying to prove himself as a serious fighter.

Born on January 2, 1995, Zaynukov is from the small village of Chanko in Dagestan, Russia. His bond with his hometown runs deep, and it is here that he gets his nickname: “Wild Chanco.” The title reflects both the name of his village and his aggressive fighting style that he has developed over the years while participating in various international promotions. Unlike many fighters from Dagestan who built their careers on wrestling and sambo, Zajnukov distinguished himself as a striker. His record before joining the UFC stood at 8-0, with five of his wins coming by knockout or technical knockout.

The path to the UFC took him via Eagle FC, UAE Warriors and Dana White’s Contender Series, where he compiled an undefeated record while showcasing impressive, high-volume cardio. His striking numbers tell the story: he lands approximately 15.67 significant blows per minute with 60% accuracy, while absorbing only 4.80 blows per minute. These stats suggest a fighter with both offensive firepower and defensive instincts.

Origin

But the meme overshadowed everything until its appearance on the Contender Series in October 2025. Its origins date back to when Islam Makhachev, his teammate on the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School, introduced him to Demetrius “Mighty Mouse” Johnson during a training camp video. Makhachev gave Zajnukov his actual nickname “Chanco”, but his Dagestani accent made the word sound strikingly similar to “John Pork”. The Internet did not miss this opportunity. Fans clipped the moment and combined it with an existing meme featuring a round animated pig character.

What started as a single misunderstood word exploded on social media. Zajnukov’s Instagram was flooded with pig emojis, jokes and followers chanting “JOHN PORK!!!” spammed. under each message. Despite his visible displeasure, the more he asked fans to use his correct nickname, the harder the internet leaned on the joke. In October 2025, Zajnukov openly asked people to stop calling him that, even threatening to disable Instagram comments completely.

When UFC322 arrived in November 2025, the absurdity reached its peak. At the official press conference, Makhachev made a public plea to fans to stop calling Zajnukov “John Pork,” reminding everyone that “Chanco” is his real nickname and that he doesn’t like the viral moniker. The audience’s reaction? Massive cheers and chants of “JOHN PORK!!!” that bursts throughout the room.​

Zajnukov managed to charm the audience despite the jokes, but his frustration with the situation seems justified. He never asked for this particular brand of fame. His nickname refers to his birthplace, carries cultural weight and represents his identity as a warrior. Instead, he was renamed a cartoon pig online because of a single accented word that sounded vaguely the same in a training video.​

John Pig started on Instagram on September 24, 2018, as a self-proclaimed “fashion model” from Palermo, Italy. But here’s where things get weird: John Pork is a computer-generated virtual influencer, essentially an AI-created character depicting a man with a human body and a photorealistic pig’s head. The account featured AI-generated selfies of this anthropomorphic pig man posing at tourist locations such as Doune Castle in Scotland and Skye Island. The identity of the creator has been deliberately kept mysterious, which only adds to the surreal nature of the story

Whether the “John Pork” nickname eventually disappears as Zaynukov racks up UFC wins, or whether it becomes permanently attached to his career remains to be seen. What started as a misheard nickname has turned into one of MMA’s most memorable memes, with an undefeated prospect turning into an overnight fan favorite before throwing a single official UFC punch.

Zajnukov’s actual skills and fighting ability will ultimately define his career. But the man known on the internet as ‘John Pork’ has already carved out a unique place in MMA history, accidentally becoming a celebrity thanks to nothing more than an accent and a confused internet.