Overview
- The UFC has scheduled Zaynukov to face Damian Rzepecki on July 25 at UFC Fight Night 282 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, a booking first reported June 29 and later verified to MMA Junkie.
- Initial reporting traced the scoop to Marcel Dorff and was confirmed to outlets by two people with knowledge of the pairing, which now appears on the card released for the event.
- Media outlets list both men as unbeaten newcomers to the UFC but show inconsistent career records for each fighter, with some reports swapping 8-0 and 10-0 tallies, reflecting early discrepancies in newcomer data.
- Zaynukov earned his UFC contract via a Dana White’s Contender Series win and has gained wider attention as Islam Makhachev’s teammate, a viral 'John Pork' nickname, and his involvement in a high-profile cageside brawl at UFC 322.
- Rzepecki reportedly received a direct UFC signing after building a record heavy on stoppages, and the July fight will be a test of how the promotion integrates DWCS graduates and outside signees while raising the fighters’ profiles on Paramount+ coverage.