Jeremiah Wells pulled off a major upset, submitting Myktybek Orolbai with a guillotine choke in the third round. Wells struggled with Orolbai's wrestling in the middle stages of the fight after controlling the standup early. The finish marks the first upset of the card and deals a significant blow to Orolbai's hopes of cracking the top 15.
Jeremiah Wells delivered a stunning third-round submission finish against Myktybek Orolbai on August 15, 2026, locking in a guillotine choke to pull off the first upset of the card.
Wells, 39, entered the bout as the underdog but showed his grappling credentials early by controlling the striking exchanges on the feet. The American out of Renzo Gracie Philly carries a 13-4-1 professional record and brings a switch stance and a versatile skill set to the cage. His submission attempts average 1.3 per 15 minutes, a rate that reflects his willingness to hunt for finishes on the ground, and it proved decisive when he caught Orolbai in the guillotine to close out the third frame.
Orolbai, 28, came in riding considerable momentum and entered the fight with a 16-2-1 record that had positioned him as a serious contender knocking on the door of the welterweight top 15. The Kyrgyz fighter, representing Uluu Kyrgyz Team, is one of the busiest wrestlers in the division, averaging an impressive 8.77 takedown attempts per 15 minutes, and he demonstrated that threat in the middle rounds, where the summary notes Wells was forced to weather his grappling pressure. Despite landing significant strikes at a 50 percent accuracy clip, Orolbai could not keep Wells controlled long enough to secure a finish of his own.
Why it matters
- Wells snaps Orolbai's momentum and hands him just his second professional loss, dealing a serious setback to his top-15 aspirations.
- The finish highlights the danger Wells poses at 39 years old — his submission threat remains live even when opponents dictate where the fight goes.
- A victory of this magnitude could lift Wells back into the rankings conversation in a crowded welterweight division.
- Orolbai's high takedown volume was countered by Wells' guillotine awareness, raising questions about how the Kyrgyz wrestler handles physical, submission-savvy opponents going forward.
