Asu Almabayev ground out a third-round submission victory over Johnson, working the opponent on the mat before finishing with a Suleymanov stretch late in the final round. The bout featured creative ground work from both fighters throughout.
Asu "Zulfikar" Almabayev secured a third-round submission victory over Johnson, finishing the bout with a Suleymanov stretch to extend his standing in the flyweight division.
Almabayev, ranked eighth in the flyweight division, improved his record to 24-3-0 with the win. The 32-year-old from Kazakhstan, who trains out of DAR Pro Team, has built his reputation as a patient, methodical grappler, and that approach was on full display here. He averages 4.46 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts 1.5 submissions in the same window, numbers that reflect a fighter who consistently drags bouts to the mat and looks to finish there. He also carries a striking accuracy of 50 percent, making him difficult to outwork on the feet as well. The finish itself — a Suleymanov stretch, a shoulder-lock variation rarely seen at the highest level — underlined just how creative his ground game can be.
The bout was competitive throughout, with both fighters contributing active ground exchanges across all three rounds before Almabayev eventually forced the submission late.
Why it matters
- The win moves Almabayev deeper into flyweight contention from the eighth-ranked position, keeping pressure on fighters above him in the division.
- A submission finish via the Suleymanov stretch signals rare technical depth in his grappling arsenal, which could present unique problems for any opponent.
- At 32, Almabayev appears to be in the heart of his prime, with a 24-3-0 record that reflects consistent performance at a high level.
