Almabayev worked through a competitive and dynamic grappling exchanges with Johnson before finishing the fight on the ground with a Suloev stretch submission near the end of round three. Both fighters showed creative ground work throughout the bout.
Asu "Zulfikar" Almabayev secured a third-round submission victory over Jose "Zhakwarius" Johnson on June 27, 2026, finishing the bout with a Suloev stretch late in the final frame after an eventful and closely contested grappling battle.
Almabayev, the 32-year-old Kazakhstani flyweight ranked eighth in his division, improved his record to 24-3-0 with the win. Fighting out of DAR Pro Team, the five-foot-four grappler has built his reputation on relentless wrestling, averaging an impressive 4.46 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career. He also attempts submissions at a rate of 1.5 per 15 minutes, and the Suloev stretch finish underscored the variety and creativity within his ground game.
Johnson, representing Twin Wolves MMA out of the United States, drops to 16-10-0 with the defeat. The 31-year-old stands six feet tall with a 71-inch reach and came into the bout showing genuine grappling ambition of his own, averaging 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes. His striking output of 2.27 significant strikes per minute and an accuracy rate of 57 percent suggested he was more than capable of making the fight competitive on the feet as well.
The bout lived up to that expectation, with both men trading dynamic exchanges on the canvas through all three rounds before Almabayev secured the finishing hold with the clock winding down.
Why it matters
- The victory keeps Almabayev firmly positioned inside the flyweight top ten at number eight, strengthening his case for a higher-ranked matchup.
- Johnson's creative ground work throughout the fight demonstrated he remains a threat on the mat despite the result.
- The Suloev stretch is a relatively rare finish in MMA, highlighting the technical depth both fighters brought to their grappling exchanges.
