Asu Almabayev ground out a third-round submission victory over Johnson, finishing the fight with a Suloyev stretch late in the final round. The bout featured creative and dynamic grappling exchanges from both fighters throughout.
Asu "Zulfikar" Almabayev claimed a third-round submission victory, finishing his opponent Johnson with a Suloyev stretch in the closing stages of their flyweight contest on June 27, 2026.
Almabayev, ranked eighth in the flyweight division, improved his professional record to 24-3-0 with the finish. The 32-year-old Kazakh, who trains out of DAR Pro Team, stands five-foot-four with a 65-inch reach and competes out of an orthodox stance. His grappling credentials were on full display throughout the bout — he averages 4.46 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.5 submission attempts over the same span, numbers that reflect a wrestler who converts his takedowns into active, threatening ground work. His striking also holds up at a 50 percent accuracy rate, landing 2.31 significant strikes per minute.
The fight featured dynamic grappling exchanges across all three rounds before Almabayev secured the Suloyev stretch — a shoulder-lock variation that demands precise positioning and timing — to earn the stoppage. It is a relatively rare finishing hold in mixed martial arts, and its appearance underscores the technical creativity Almabayev brought to the mat on the night.
Why it matters
- The win keeps Almabayev active and relevant inside the flyweight top ten, where movement toward title contention is tightly contested.
- A submission finish via an uncommon hold strengthens his reputation as a versatile and technically sophisticated grappler.
- The performance signals that Almabayev can close out close fights on the ground, a quality that will factor into any future high-stakes flyweight matchmaking.
