Magomed Zaynukov walked into his UFC debut at Etihad Arena on Friday and walked out with a dominant performance that turned heads. One day later, the reason behind his walkout music made perfect sense.
Magomed Zaynukov ‘Wild Chanco’ is a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Martial Arts Film ‘Bloodsport’
Speaking to Red Corner MMA after his debut, ‘Wild Chanco’ connected the dots between the film and his fight night entrance. He said:
“I think everybody watched Bloodsport. It’s the movie of my childhood. I used to be a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme. I watched all of his movies and really liked the music. That’s why I chose it [as my walkout song].”
The 1988 Van Damme classic follows a US Army captain competing in a brutal underground full-contact martial arts tournament in Hong Kong. It became one of the most iconic martial arts films ever made and introduced a generation of fighters around the world to the concept of elite hand-to-hand combat before MMA even had a name.
For a fighter making his promotional debut on one of the sport’s biggest stages, walking out to its soundtrack was both personal and fitting.
What the Movie Means to the Sport
Bloodsport occupies a unique space in martial arts culture. Countless professional fighters have cited it as the film that first made them want to train and compete. Magomed Zaynukov is clearly one of them, and his debut performance, clinical and finished with conviction, had enough of that tournament fighter energy to make the tribute feel earned rather than cosmetic.
The Bloodsport Remake Is Coming
Interestingly, A24 recently announced that Michaela Coel, creator of the Emmy-winning series I May Destroy You, is writing and directing a full remake of Bloodsport. The project is currently in development with no release date confirmed.
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