Almabayev secured a finish against Johnson late in the third round, grinding out a ground battle before applying a Suleimanov stretch submission to earn the victory. Both fighters showed creative grappling exchanges throughout the contest.
Asu "Zulfikar" Almabayev secured a third-round submission victory over Jose "Zhakwarius" Johnson on June 27, 2026, finishing the fight with a Suleimanov stretch to close out a technically demanding grappling contest.
Almabayev, the 32-year-old Kazakhstani flyweight, entered the bout ranked eighth in his division and carrying a 24-3 record. Fighting out of DAR Pro Team, he has built his reputation as one of the more persistent wrestlers at 125 pounds, averaging an impressive 4.46 takedowns per 15 minutes. His submission threat is equally consistent, averaging 1.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes, and both tendencies were on full display before he locked in the rare Suleimanov stretch finish late in the third.
Johnson, the 31-year-old from the United States fighting out of Twin Wolves MMA, came in holding a 16-10 record. Standing six feet tall with a 71-inch reach, he carries notable striking accuracy at 57 percent and has shown a willingness to engage on the ground with 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Despite the creative grappling exchanges the bout produced throughout all three rounds, he was unable to escape Almabayev's relentless pressure when it mattered most.
Why it matters
- Almabayev's eighth-ranked status in the flyweight division means a finish victory keeps him firmly in the mix for a top-five opportunity.
- The Suleimanov stretch is an uncommon submission hold, and landing it in a high-level bout underscores Almabayev's technical versatility on the mat.
- Johnson's ground defense and submission awareness were tested throughout, but Almabayev's elite takedown volume ultimately proved the deciding factor.
