Almabayev ground out a gritty win over Johnson, controlling the fight on the mat before finishing with a Suloev stretch submission near the end of round three. Both fighters showed creative grappling throughout the contest.
Asu "Zulfikar" Almabayev secured a submission victory over Jose "Zhakwarius" Johnson on June 27, 2026, finishing the flyweight bout with a Suloev stretch late in the third round after dominating large portions of the contest on the mat.
Almabayev, ranked eighth in the flyweight division, improved his record to 24-3-0 with the win. The 32-year-old from Kazakhstan, who competes out of DAR Pro Team, is one of the more persistent grapplers in the weight class. His numbers back that up — he averages 4.46 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts 1.5 submissions in the same span, among the higher marks at flyweight. Standing five-foot-four with a 65-inch reach, he showed the patience and positional awareness to grind Johnson down before finding the unusual finishing hold near the end of the championship round.
Johnson, representing Twin Wolves MMA out of the United States, falls to 16-10-0. The 31-year-old Orthodox striker stands six feet tall with a 71-inch reach and carries respectable output on the feet, landing 2.27 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy. He also showed his own submission threat during the fight, averaging 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes in his career. Despite the creative grappling exchanges throughout, he was unable to stay off the canvas long enough to turn the bout in his favor.
Why it matters
- Almabayev's win at ranked eighth keeps him firmly in flyweight title contention conversations
- His elite takedown rate made Johnson's length and striking advantage largely irrelevant
- The Suloev stretch finish highlights the submission variety Almabayev brings beyond standard wrestling pressure
- Johnson's record of 16-10 leaves him needing a response to avoid slipping further down the divisional ladder
