Almabayev defeated Johnson by submission in the third round, wearing his opponent down with ground control before finishing with a stretch submission late in the fight. The bout 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, methodically breaking his opponent down on the mat before locking in a stretch submission late in the contest.
Almabayev, ranked eighth in the flyweight division, improved his record to 24-3-0 with the finish. The 32-year-old Kazakhstani fighter representing DAR Pro Team stands five-foot-four with a 65-inch reach and has built his reputation as a relentless grappler. His numbers back that up — he averages 4.46 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts 1.5 submissions per 15 minutes, among the higher rates in the division. The victory was a showcase of that patient, grinding style, with Almabayev using sustained ground control to drain Johnson before finding the finish.
Johnson, fighting out of Twin Wolves MMA, drops to 16-10-0 with the loss. The 31-year-old American stands six feet tall with a 71-inch reach and came in as a credible threat on the feet, connecting at a 57 percent striking accuracy rate and landing 2.27 significant strikes per minute. He showed his own creative ground work throughout the bout, but could not escape the accumulated wear of Almabayev's persistent top control over three rounds.
Why it matters
- Almabayev's win reinforces his standing as one of the more dangerous grapplers in the flyweight top ten, sitting at number eight in the rankings
- The third-round finish rather than a decision signals he still has finishing ability alongside his grinding approach
- Johnson's submission attempts averaged 0.7 per 15 minutes, meaning both fighters were active on the mat, making Almabayev's ability to control and finish all the more notable
