Asualy Almabayev ground out a finish against Johnson, controlling him on the mat before securing a submission via a Suleymanov stretch at the end of the third round. The contest featured creative ground work from both fighters throughout.
Asu "Zulfikar" Almabayev earned a third-round submission victory over Jose "Zhakwarius" Johnson on June 27, 2026, finishing the fight with a Suleymanov stretch late in the final round after controlling large portions of the contest on the mat.
Almabayev, the 32-year-old Kazakhstani flyweight representing DAR Pro Team, improved his record to 24-3-0 with the win. Ranked eighth in the flyweight division, he has long built his game around wrestling, and the numbers back that up: he averages 4.46 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts submissions at a rate of 1.5 per 15 minutes. Those tendencies were on full display here, as he kept Johnson pinned down and worked creative grappling sequences before finding the finishing hold.
Johnson, a 31-year-old Orthodox fighter out of Twin Wolves MMA, fell to 16-10-0 with the defeat. Standing six feet tall with a 71-inch reach, he is the larger man by a notable margin against a fighter listed at five-foot-four. Johnson himself brings some ground-game capability, averaging 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes, and the bout reportedly featured active grappling exchanges from both men across all three rounds. His striking accuracy of 57 percent is a notable attribute, but the fight ultimately went to the mat where Almabayev held the clear advantage.
Why it matters
- Almabayev's eighth-ranked flyweight status means a strong finish here keeps him firmly in divisional contention
- The Suleymanov stretch is a rare finishing hold, underlining the technical depth Almabayev brings to grappling exchanges
- Johnson's team at Twin Wolves MMA will need to reassess his grappling defense against elite-level wrestlers at this weight class
