Islam Makhachev may be chasing history at UFC 322, but for a brief moment, the spotlight shifted elsewhere. Just hours before his welterweight debut against Jack Della Maddalena, the Dagestani champion attended the pre-fight press conference in New York—only for the event to take an unexpected turn. As Makhachev answered questions from reporters, a familiar figure suddenly stole the scene.

The crowd erupted, chanting one name over and over: ‘Chanco!’ If that didn’t give it away already, in that instant, all eyes moved to Magomed Zaynukov , Makhachev’s training partner. Zaynukov recently earned his UFC contract with a dominant victory over Lucas Caldas on Dana White ’s Contender Series, securing his place in the promotion’s lightweight division. Yet, the former lightweight champi

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