Magomed Zaynukov defeats Damian Rzepecki by unanimous decision
Zaynukov vs Rzepecki — Lightweight · UFC Fight Night
What happened
The result, the defining moments, and what the verdict means.
A first-round eye poke paused the contest.
Zaynukov controlled the action with the depth of his striking offence.
Zaynukov won the unanimous decision.
- Official UFC resultsUFC Abu Dhabi — Main Card Results
Who Called It?
How the analysts' picks held up once the cage door closed.
Analyst picks: DFS By The Numbers perfect call; AJ called it; Michael Chiesa called it; JakeGerberMMA called it; HopperoMMA called it; Bedtime MMA called it; We Want Picks called it.
7 of 7 nailed it · 1 nailed the finish ★.
The experts above are a lens, not credentials we conferred — analyst, fighter or betting desk.
Full analyst picks ↓
DFS By The Numbers Betting deskAnalyst called 60 of 88 DFS By The Numbers: predicted Zaynukov · Decision. Actual Zaynukov · Dec. Result: Perfect call.
Backs Zaynukov's broader striking and grappling tools to carry a decision over the durable Rzepecki.
Track record: winner called in 60 of 88 resolved picks, 23 a perfect call.
AJ Betting deskAnalyst called 52 of 71 AJ: predicted Zaynukov · to win. Actual Zaynukov · Dec. Result: Hit.
Favors Zaynukov's rhythm, body and leg work, and higher perceived level as he begins his UFC career against Rzepecki.
Track record: winner called in 52 of 71 resolved picks, 25 a perfect call.
Michael Chiesa AnalystFighter called 29 of 42 Michael Chiesa: predicted Zaynukov · to win. Actual Zaynukov · Dec. Result: Hit.
Expects Zaynukov's output and well-rounded camp experience to overwhelm Rzepecki and find a finish inside two rounds, without naming a specific method or round.
Track record: winner called in 29 of 42 resolved picks, 1 a perfect call.
JakeGerberMMA Analyst called 44 of 62 JakeGerberMMA: predicted Zaynukov · to win. Actual Zaynukov · Dec. Result: Hit.
Names Magomed Zaynukov as the full-card pick in this preview.
Track record: winner called in 44 of 62 resolved picks, 10 a perfect call.
HopperoMMA Analyst called 41 of 65 HopperoMMA: predicted Zaynukov · to win. Actual Zaynukov · Dec. Result: Hit.
Names Magomed Zaynukov as the full-card pick in this preview.
Track record: winner called in 41 of 65 resolved picks, 15 a perfect call.
Bedtime MMA Analyst called 67 of 99 Bedtime MMA: predicted Zaynukov · to win. Actual Zaynukov · Dec. Result: Hit.
Names Magomed Zaynukov as the full-card pick in this preview.
Track record: winner called in 67 of 99 resolved picks, 28 a perfect call.
We Want Picks Betting desk called 55 of 87 We Want Picks: predicted Zaynukov · to win. Actual Zaynukov · Dec. Result: Hit.
Names Magomed Zaynukov as the full-card pick in this preview.
Track record: winner called in 55 of 87 resolved picks.
Archive Pre-fight material — kept for transparency.
- 8-0-0
- Record
- 10-0-0
- 5-0 last 5
- Recent formRecent formWin–loss record over the fighter’s last five bouts, newest first, as carried in their UFC/FightMetric career stats.
- 5-0 last 5
- Orthodox
- StanceStanceWhich side a fighter leads from — a striking term, not a religious one. Orthodox: right-handed, left foot and hand forward (the common default). Southpaw: the mirror image, right side forward (usually a left-hander). Switch: changes between the two during a fight.
- Orthodox
- 15.67
- Sig. strikes landed / minStrikes / minSignificant strikes landed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter lands for every minute of fight time — a read on striking output and pace. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
- Not published
- —
- Sig. strikes absorbed / minAbsorbed / minSignificant strikes absorbed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter takes for every minute of fight time. Lower is better — it means they get hit less often. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
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- —
- Striking defenseStrike def.Striking defenseThe percentage of opponents’ significant strikes that do not land — strikes slipped, blocked or evaded. Higher is better. Not the same as striking accuracy, which counts your own strikes that land. From UFC/FightMetric.
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- —
- Takedown defenseTD def.Takedown defenseThe percentage of opponents’ takedown attempts that are stuffed. Higher means harder to put on the mat. From UFC/FightMetric.
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- —
- Avg. fight timeAvg. timeAverage fight timeThe mean length of the fighter’s bouts (minutes:seconds) — a rough read on whether they tend to finish early or go the distance. From UFC/FightMetric.
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- Russia
- Nationality
- Poland
- Eagles MMA
- Team
- Top Fit Center Piotrkow Trybunalski
Career stats per UFC.com; recent form is each fighter's last five bouts. Numbers reflect records coming into fight night. Bars compare each stat on a fixed scale; the “Edge” marker flags the leading corner where the gap is meaningful. The snapshot plots five career rates — output, striking defense, durability (strikes absorbed, inverted), takedown defense and finish rate — each normalised on its own scale.
Pre-fight analysis — how we saw it going in
Case for Zaynukov
Zaynukov brings the Dagestani template to an unbeaten record. Training out of the Nurmagomedov school, 'Wild Chanco' is 8-0 with a Muay Thai base bolted onto the grappling pressure that region has made famous, and he has already been tested internationally at UAE Warriors and on the Contender Series. He is the more proven of the two perfect records.
Case for Rzepecki
Rzepecki is a 10-0 finisher making the UFC walk for the first time. 'The Butcher' has stopped nine of ten opponents — a 90% finish rate split between knockouts and submissions — carving through Poland's FEN scene. He is the bigger unknown and a genuine finishing threat; the question is whether that regional stoppage rate translates the moment the level jumps.
What We Were Watching For
- Two zeros: one of these unbeaten records ends tonight — who handles the first real adversity of their career?
- Wrestling vs finishing: Zaynukov's grappling pressure against Rzepecki's stoppage power — who dictates where the fight happens?
- The debut jump: Rzepecki has never fought on this stage — does UFC-level competition dull a regional finishing record?
- Zaynukov's decisions: three of his eight wins went the distance — can he finish, or does he need to grind rounds?
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