The upcoming UFC Qatar fight has received a big boost as an absolute banger of a lightweight battle has been added to the card.
Per Brazilian MMA journalist Laerte Viana, and confirmed by Heavy’s Marcel Dorff, Russia’s Magomed Zaykunov will fight Brazilian Manoel Sousa at UFC Qatar, which takes place on November 21 at Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
Magomed Zaykunov is a Budding Lightweight Star
Zaynukov is a teammate of UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, but unlike his teammate, who is a wrestling-based fighter, Zaynukov prefers to stand and bang with his opponents, which often leads to supremely entertaining MMA fights.
Zaynukov, who is known by his nickname “Wild Chanco” or the internet meme “John Pork,” is 9-0 in his MMA career.
He was signed to a UFC contract following a decision win over Lucas Caldas on Dana White’s Contender Series in October 2025 in a back-and-forth war. After taking some time off, Zaynukov returned to the cage when he made his UFC debut with a decision win over Damian Rzepecki at UFC Abu Dhabi in July.
Now, he returns to the Octagon against Sousa in what should be a phenomenal fight between two dangerous strikers.
Manoel Sousa is a Devastating Knockout Artist
Sousa is 15-1 in his MMA career, and he is also a DWCS veteran, having earned a UFC contract following a brutal third-round KO win over Cristian Perez in August 2025.
Sousa then made his official UFC debut at Meta Apex in March 2025, and he earned a stunning third-round KO win over Bolaji Oki. He then returned to the cage in August and defeated the durable Richie Miranda via decision.
Both Zaynukov and Sousa are terrific strikers who love to stand and trade with their opponents, which should make for an absolutely amazing fight for the fans to watch.
Given how much hype is behind Zaynukov right now, he will likely be the betting favorite for this bout, but Sousa has the KO power in his hands to knock anyone out with just one punch, so you can’t totally discount the possibility of him winning this fight.
UFC Qatar Gets Lightweight Banger Fight