Askhab Zulaev defeated Marat Gafurov by unanimous decision under combat grappling rules at the ACBJJ 21 tournament.
Askhab Zulaev claimed a unanimous decision victory over Marat Gafurov in a combat grappling contest at the ACBJJ 21 tournament on July 5, 2026.
The matchup brought together two fighters with histories in mixed martial arts, competing under the submission-focused ruleset that the Abu Dhabi Combat Club's grappling series is known for. Zulaev controlled enough of the contest across the judges' scorecards to earn the nod from all three officials, taking the win without a finish.
Gafurov, a veteran of Asian MMA who built his reputation as a dangerous submission artist during his time at ONE Championship, was unable to secure the finish he would have needed to overturn the decision.
Why it matters
- Combat grappling events like ACBJJ 21 offer MMA fighters a high-profile stage to sharpen and showcase their submission game between fights.
- Zulaev's unanimous decision win demonstrates consistent performance across the full duration of a grappling contest, not just in scrambles.
- For Gafurov, the loss adds another result to his recent record at a point in his career when momentum matters.
