Asu Almabayev VS Charles Johnson

Asu Almabayev submitted Charles Johnson with a Suloev Stretch at 3:33 of Round 3 in their flyweight bout at UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Torres on June 27, 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Almabayev controlled the first two rounds on the mat, landing crisp left hooks to set up takedowns in the opener and mixing in a spinning back kick and wheel kick before reasserting top control in the second. Johnson showed life early in Round 3 with an inverted triangle attempt that Almabayev escaped, before Almabayev took his back, threatened a rear-naked choke, and transitioned to the Suloev Stretch to fold Johnson for the finish. After the fight, Almabayev called out flyweight champion Joshua Van, seeking a title shot despite entering the card ranked ninth.

Almabayev and Johnson share an opponent in Alex Perez — Almabayev submitted him in November 2025, Johnson was knocked out by him in January 2026 — which gives this flyweight clash an immediate narrative edge. The Kazakh grappler carries a two-fight win streak and a suffocating mat game built on back-takes and chokes, while the St. Louis striker needs to prove his chin and distance control can survive elite wrestling at this level.