Asu Almabayev has spoken candidly about his upcoming opponent Charles Johnson, acknowledging him as a skilled and experienced UFC fighter. Almabayev noted that Johnson previously knocked out Joshua Van and carries real danger, but stated he has no fear going into the bout. The Kazakh fighter vowed to fight until the final bell and use every opportunity to come out victorious.
Asu Almabayev has broken his silence on his upcoming flyweight clash with Charles Johnson, expressing both respect for his opponent and full confidence in his own ability to win.
Almabayev, nicknamed "Zulfikar," enters the bout ranked eighth in the UFC flyweight division with a record of 24-3. The 32-year-old from Kazakhstan trains out of DAR Pro Team and brings a well-rounded game built heavily around wrestling, averaging 4.46 takedowns per 15 minutes. He also generates 1.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes, making him a consistent threat once a fight hits the mat. He lands significant strikes at a rate of 2.31 per minute with 50 percent accuracy.
Johnson, known as "InnerG," is a 35-year-old American fighter out of Murcielago MMA who carries a record of 19-9. Fighting out of a switch stance, the five-foot-nine veteran owns a 70-inch reach and averages 4.77 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy. He also mixes in occasional submission attempts at a rate of 0.3 per 15 minutes. Almabayev specifically called out Johnson's knockout of Joshua Van as evidence of the danger he presents. Van, the current flyweight champion from Myanmar, is regarded as one of the division's most active strikers, landing 8.84 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy, which makes Johnson's finish of him a notable credential.
Why it matters
- Almabayev sits at number eight in the flyweight rankings, meaning a strong performance could move him closer to title contention
- Johnson's experience and striking versatility pose a genuine stylistic test for Almabayev's grappling-heavy approach
- A win for Almabayev over a veteran with 28 UFC appearances would carry real divisional weight
