Magomed Zaynukov Denies Manoel Sousa Fight After Surgery
Magomed Zaynukov says he never signed to fight Manoel Sousa at UFC Qatar and will not compete again in 2026.
The undefeated Dagestani lightweight posted the denial on Instagram after media reports listed the bout for November 21 in Doha. The graphic that circulated used UFC Fight Night branding and both fighters’ photos. Zaynukov answered it in two languages.
“I didn’t sign any contract for this fight,” he wrote.
He followed that with a second line in English. “I won’t be fighting this year due to surgery. I am currently undergoing rehabilitation and recovering.”
That is the entire public explanation so far. He did not name the injury, the procedure, or a target return date.
The matchup had been reported Friday by Marcel Dorff and Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana as a lightweight addition to the November 21 card at Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena. Those reports treated the fight as booked. Zaynukov’s story is the first response from either camp that the paper was never signed.
The UFC has not posted an official announcement of Zaynukov vs. Sousa. Until the promotion confirms or removes a bout, the only firm statement belongs to the fighter who would have had to put his name on the contract.
Zaynukov is 9-0 after a unanimous decision over Damian Rzepecki on July 25 at UFC Abu Dhabi. That was his promotional debut. He earned the contract last October with a decision win over Lucas Caldas on Dana White’s Contender Series, a fight in which he set a then-record for significant strikes landed in a lightweight bout on the show.
He trains with Islam Makhachev and the Eagle Fighting Team out of Dagestan. The 31-year-old is a former Muay Thai fighter who has finished five of his nine wins by knockout and taken the other four to the scorecards.
Sousa is 15-1 and 2-0 inside the UFC. The Brazilian stopped Bolaji Oki in the third round of his debut in March, then won a unanimous decision over Richie Miranda in August. He also came through Contender Series, knocking out Cristian Perez in 2025.
On paper the pairing made sense for a developing lightweight slot on an international card. Two Contender Series graduates, both coming off wins, both available in the same window. Zaynukov’s post takes that pairing off the table for this year.
UFC Qatar is still scheduled for November 21 in Doha. Other reported bouts on the early card include Aleksandre Topuria vs. Santiago Luna and Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Asu Almabayev. A main event has not been locked in.
Surgery in September leaves almost no path for Zaynukov to clear rehab, camp, and weight by late November even if the paperwork had been signed. His own wording closes that door. He is recovering. He is not fighting in 2026.
Zaynukov’s next appearance will wait on medical clearance. The last time he was in the cage he controlled Rzepecki for three rounds in Abu Dhabi and left undefeated. The next time will not be this year.
Until the UFC issues its own update, the record on this matchup is the one Zaynukov posted himself. No contract. Surgery. Rehab. Out for 2026.
