Almabayev ground out a competitive fight against Johnson, controlling the grappling exchanges before securing the finish with the Suleimanov stretch submission late in round three. The bout featured creative ground work from both competitors throughout.
Asu "Zulfikar" Almabayev claimed a third-round submission victory over Jose "Zhakwarius" Johnson on June 27, 2026, finishing the bout with the Suleimanov stretch to cap a night of intricate grappling from both fighters.
Almabayev, the number-eight-ranked flyweight contender from Kazakhstan, improves to 24-3-0 with the win. The 32-year-old trains out of DAR Pro Team and has built his reputation as one of the division's most dangerous grapplers, averaging an impressive 4.46 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.5 submission attempts in the same span. Standing five-foot-four with a 65-inch reach, he controlled the wrestling exchanges throughout the contest before finding the rare finishing hold late in the championship round.
Johnson, the 31-year-old American competing out of Twin Wolves MMA, came in with a 16-10-0 record and showed his own ground-game capability during the fight. The six-foot Orthodox fighter carries a 71-inch reach and posts a striking accuracy of 57 percent, one of the sharper numbers in his weight class. He also contributed to the creative mat work the bout was noted for, attempting submissions of his own at a rate of 0.7 per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Almabayev's win at flyweight reinforces his position as a top-ten threat and keeps him in contention for a higher-profile assignment.
- The Suleimanov stretch is an uncommon finishing hold, and its successful application speaks to the technical depth Almabayev brings to the grappling game.
- Johnson's submission loss drops him to 16-10-0 and may affect his own divisional standing, though his willingness to engage on the ground throughout made for a competitive contest before the finish arrived.
