Magomed ‘Chanco’ Zaynukov, a UFC fighter who was allegedly among those who brawled with Dillon Danis at a recent MMA event, received a hero’s welcome when he got back to his home gym in Dagestan.

The wild scenes outside the Octagon at the UFC 322 event marred the headline results like Islam Makhachev‘s domination of Jack Della Maddalena. As GIVE ME SPORT reported at the time, it all seemed to start when Danis, a Misfits fighter, reportedly kept encroaching into an area for which he did not have a ticket. The UFC boss Dana White even told reporters later that Danis “was moving around and sitting in fighter seats, and not sitting in his own.”

Danis also has a checkered history for his trolling nature, particularly on social media, which can irritate Makhachev and his fellow Dagenstani fighters who take pride in respect and their culture. And it all boiled over at UFC 322. White banned Danis, and now ‘Chano’ appears to be the most popular fighter in his gym.

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Magomed ‘Chanco’ Zaynukov’s Hero’s Welcome For Getting Dillon Danis Banned

Speaking to the media, White said: “It never even crossed my mind that the entire Muslim Brotherhood was here tonight in the first five rows, for Islam. As soon as it broke out, and I’m in the front row, I went f***. I know exactly what that is. I knew it.”

White knew it was Danis. “You will never see Dillon Danis at a UFC fight ever again.”

Even Makhachev reacted to the news of Danis’s ban from the UFC, as he suggested he should be banned from the country, too.

But though Danis remains in the US, Makhachev, and Chano’s teammates in Dagestan all appeared thrilled at how the controversial incident played out.

The fighter, who rose to fame in regional leagues and UAE Warriors, won via decision in a Contender Series bout in October but it remains to be seen when his actual UFC debut will be. Considering the fighter’s surging popularity right now, it’s a debut we might see sooner, rather than later.

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When we mention technical footballers, we talk of those blessed with pure unadulterated footballing ability. Those who are the greatest players ever aren’t necessarily always the most technical. Someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, for instance, relied upon power, pace and other physical attributes – in combination with his technical qualities – to reach his peak.

The most technical players, on the other hand, make the difficult look easy – players who have complete command of the ball and a profound understanding and appreciation of the players and space around them at any given time.

Sometimes these are players who fulfil their vast potential. Sometimes they do not, even if they do still achieve some incredible moments that other players can only dream of. With this in mind, the following rankings reveal the 15 most technically gifted players in football history.

15

Roberto Baggio

Italy

Roberto Baggio was a supremely gifted individual for club and country. He played during a time when Champions League places weren’t handed out as easily as they are today with a top-four finish in the league. Yet there is a strong argument to suggest Baggio is the finest Italian footballer of all time.

It was Baggio who took Italy, almost single-handedly, to the 1994 World Cup Final. Sadly, it was he who skied a crucial penalty in the shoot-out in the final against Brazil. But Baggio almost always had a clear picture of what he wanted to do with the ball. He had the skill to carry that out, often with devastating effect.

14

Dimitar Berbatov

Bulgaria

Dimitar Berbatov was the embodiment of elegance in football – a player whose technical ability often made the game look like an art form. With a sublime first touch, immaculate close control, and a rare ability to slow time in the box, the retired Bulgarian international demanded attention from fans across Europe. He scored 94 Premier League goals, many of them with a nonchalant grace that defied belief.

One of his most famous moments came in 2008, when he effortlessly plucked a ball from the sky and backheeled an assist for Cristiano Ronaldo – a clip that still circulates as a masterclass in control. During the 2010/11 season, he became the Premier League’s top scorer with 20 goals, which included a memorable hat-trick against Liverpool. Berbatov rarely ran, but never needed to. His game was dictated by his supreme intelligence in the final third, despite his 6ft2in frame often acting as a mask to that pure ability.

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13

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Sweden

Speaking of players you’d be foolish to judge by appearances, Zlatan Ibrahimovic stood at 6ft 5in – yet moved with the finesse of a nimble winger, the vision of a sharp-footed playmaker, and the audacity of an acrobatic, gravity-defying centre-forward, all rolled into one. Over the course of his career, he scored more than 560 goals, many of them solo masterpieces worthy of a ‘Nessun Dorma’ soundtrack.

None, however, showcased his technical genius quite like that jaw-dropping bicycle kick against England in 2012 – a 30-yard overhead volley from an improbable angle, widely hailed as one of the greatest goals in football history. He’s the only player to score in the Champions League for six different clubs and has won league titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and France.

From no-look backheels to thundering volleys and spellbinding solo runs, Zlatan’s technique matched his ego – supreme, spectacular, and unforgettable. A true footballing phenomenon, whose glittering career lacked only one thing: a Champions League winner’s medal.

12

Dennis Bergkamp

Netherlands

Dennis Bergkamp was renowned for having one of the best first touches in football, a skill he showcased brilliantly at the World Cup in France. His exceptional vision allowed him to execute pinpoint 40-yard passes with ease and score stunning long-range goals. Bergkamp’s ability to read the game made him a unique talent in an era when forwards usually used their strength and power to get on the scoresheet.

Thierry Henry famously referred to him as ‘Arsenal’s Zidane,’ acknowledging that no one could match Bergkamp’s capacity to perceive and react to the flow of the game as quickly. His combination of technical skill, intelligence, and creativity is what led to one of the most famous goals in Premier League history against Newcastle and the Dutchman is more than deserving of his place among the most technically gifted players in football history.

11

Andres Iniesta

Spain

At a time when Barcelona and Spain ruled football, Andres Iniesta lived, breathed, and bled tiki-taka elegance with his imperious displays in midfield alongside compatriot Xavi Hernandez. His most famous moment, though, came in 2010 as he scored the goal to win La Roja their very first World Cup.

If his impact on Spanish football somehow wasn’t written in the history books without that 116th minute strike, then that goal ensured that the playmaker would be seen as one of the greatest Spain internationals in history. His 35-trophy haul includes nine La Liga titles and four Champions League mantles, also ensuring he’s not only Spain’s most technically gifted son, but also his nation’s most decorated footballer.

10

Garrincha

Brazil

Garrincha, widely regarded as one of football’s greatest wingers and often cited as perhaps being better than Pele by some, was a footballer whose style and story were unlike any other. Born with physical challenges – a deformed spine and a leg shorter than the other – he defied medical expectations to become a footballing genius.

His dribbling ability was unmatched, turning defenders inside out with unpredictable movements and extraordinary balance, often toying with opponents before leaving them in his wake. The Rio-born magician played with a sense of joy and improvisation that broke away from tactical norms. He prioritised entertainment as much as winning, often beating the same defender multiple times just for fun.

Garrincha’s joyful style inspired reams of poetry and weighty tomes full of legendary tales. The two-time World Cup winner, who scored 12 goals in 50 caps, is rightly crowned football’s greatest dribbler – though his end-product and playmaking ability leave him looking upwards on this list.

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9

Neymar

Brazil

There are those out there who believe Neymar has not fulfilled his potential. The man who played beautifully alongside Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi for Barcelona; the man who crowned that partnership with a goal to seal victory in the 2015 Champions League final over Juventus.

Neymar has sometimes been seen as something of a prima donna and diver during his career. Yet he was surprisingly humble when describing the five players he believed had more technical prowess than him. Neymar has also scored more goals for Brazil than both Pele and Ronaldo Nazario. His 79 goals for Brazil put him at the top of a heady list of scorers, making him the country’s all-time top goalscorer.

Divisive traits aside, there’s little doubt that peak Neymar could do just about anything he wanted with a football, with tricks, flicks and curled finishes all a customary part of his repertoire.

8

George Best

Northern Ireland

George Best burst onto the scene with Manchester United in the 1960s. He is without a doubt one of Britain’s most creative ever players. By the age of 22, he had already won the European Cup and been named winner of the Ballon d’Or. His individual United goal in that final at Wembley against Benfica remains an iconic moment for the club.

Best was able to cover great distances while dribbling the ball. This was a time when defenders were allowed to be far more physical with attacking players than they are today. Best’s greatest skill was a body feint and a dummy. Alongside Bobby Charlton and Dennis Law, Best made up the holy trinity at Old Trafford and will forever be a legend of British football.

7

Pele

Brazil

Pele is seen by many as the greatest footballer ever. He was the leader of the famous Brazil side who dismantled Italy 4-1 on their way to winning the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. As one of the most charismatic players in football history, Pele brought joy to millions of football fans around the world for his vision, skill and finishing prowess.

Wherever Pele found himself on the field, he always seemed to have a good first touch. This set him up well for whatever outrageous piece of skill he was about to unleash on spectators. He always played with a sense of having a fraction more time to think about what he was doing than the average footballer, and that all came down to a combination of perfect technique and incredible football intelligence.

6

Johan Cruyff

Netherlands

Johan Cruyff was a master of the game as a player and a coach. He had strong opinions on how football should be played. In his autobiography, he revealed his all-time eleven which left out both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Cruyff was the playmaking mastermind of the Ajax and Netherlands side of the 1970s, who introduced the world to the ‘Cruyff turn’ – a simple yet highly effective piece of skill which gave the defender no chance of winning the ball. Completely comfortable in possession, Cruyff insisted football was a game you played with your brain, probably because technique came so naturally to him.

Later as a coach, he laid down his vision of how he wanted football played with the Barcelona team that won the 1992 European Cup Final.

A rivalry of sorts between Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah was on display during their time together at Liverpool, and Mane has shed light on an “angry” incident between the pair. The attacking duo formed one of the most potent frontlines in Premier League history alongside Roberto Firmino.

Mane and Salah will go down as two of the greatest wingers in the Merseyside club’s history but both possessed winning mentalities that saw them clash. That was the case during a league fixture in August 2019 when Jurgen Klopp‘s Reds visited Burnley and claimed all three points at Turf Moor.

Chris Wood’s own goal, Mane’s strike and Firmino’s finish handed Klopp’s side a win against the Clarets, but the victory was marred by the Senegalese attacker’s reaction to being substituted. He was extremely animated coming off and had shown frustration after Salah chose not to pass the ball to him moments before he was brought off.

Mane Lifts Lid on Relationship With Salah at Liverpool

Salah and Mane spent five years together at Liverpool and won every major trophy on offer, including the club’s first Premier League title in thirty years. It was during that campaign that the Burnley incident occurred, and it was one of several signs of a rivalry between the teammates.

And Mane has now explained their relationship in an interview with the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast by first delving into their personalities:

“Great player. Good player. Great player. Everybody says the same (that there was a rivalry), you know, usually… But it’s not… I don’t think it’s a bad thing. And me, I’m someone who is quiet, but I’m friendly with everybody in the team. I’m like this.”

The current Al Nassr forward continued by alluding to moments where Salah decided not to pass to him:

“So, I think Mo is also a very nice guy. He’s a nice guy. I think though, inside the pitch, you can see – sometimes he passes me, sometimes he doesn’t pass me; sometimes he passes me, sometimes he doesn’t pass me. But, you know, only Bobby was there to share the ball. Sometimes like this…

Mane went on to recall the Burnley drama and admitted he was enraged:

“And I still remember one game when I was really, really angry because he didn’t pass me, he should pass me. Burnley. You know before this, I watched that game, and I watched your face. Oh, it was amazing. That’s why I was really, really angry after the game. And the next day he came to me. He wants to talk to me, but he doesn’t know when, how to say.”

He added:

“He still thinks I’m angry against him because we didn’t see each other, we go home. And the next day he came to me. He said, “Can we talk?” I said, “OK, no problem, we go.”

“And he said, “You think I didn’t want to pass you? I didn’t score. Bobby scored. But even when I got the ball, I was not thinking or even seeing you to pass. I just got the ball. I want to shoot. But I have nothing against you. And honestly, if I could pass you and I saw you, I will do. And this, you know… I said, ‘No, don’t worry. It passed, it passed. I was angry because I think you could pass me more with your quality’.”

Mane and Salah went on to fire Liverpool to the title that season, doing so with incredible collective goal-scoring numbers.

Mane explained how their relationship grew off the back of their Turf Moor fallout:

“I think since this day we become even closer. And sometimes it happen, but we just… as a striker, because Mo, usually when you see the ball, you don’t see nobody… You don’t see nobody. So for me, he didn’t do it personally. He just want to score, score, score.”

He concluded:

“And then I was talking, I think, “Mo, I can see you want to be more… I can help you a lot because I know you want to be top scorer. You want… I can. Me, I’m here. I can help you because I don’t have this problem. Me, I’ll help you more.”

Mane left Liverpool in the summer of 2022 when he joined Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in a £35 million deal but failed to replicate his success at Anfield at the Allianz Arena amid injury troubles. The height of his career came alongside Salah, where they shone as Klopp’s wide men while Firmino led the line.

“No Doubt About It ” – Jurgen Klopp on Mane and Salah Relationship

The latter stages of Mane and Salah’s spell together were full of question marks over their unity, including on international duty when representing their African nations, Senegal and Egypt. Their club manager, Klopp, gave his thoughts on their relationship and denied they were at loggerheads.

Klopp said during a pre-match press conference back in April 2022:

“No doubt about it they are not only close, they are well educated, they are good boys, they are good humans. Sadio and Mo would consider themselves for sure as friends. They probably have ‘best friends’ somewhere, maybe here or at home, and this situation would be challenging even if it was your best friend.”

Klopp appeared to touch on the Burnley incident:

“We just want to score a goal and realise a little bit later it was the wrong decision. It is nothing to do with any kind of rivalry with another player on your team, it is just the wrong decision.”

Klopp was in charge at Anfield when Mane arrived from Southampton for £34 million in 2016, a year before Salah joined from AS Roma in a £36.9 million deal. They were two of the German coach’s most important players as he led the Reds to domestic and European glory before departing at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.