Asu Almabayev Leaves Charles Johnson Helpless With Rare Suloev Stretch Submission At UFC Baku
Asu Almabayev pulled off one of the rarest submissions in MMA to cap another dominant victory.
The Kazakh flyweight showcased his complete skill set at UFC Baku, controlling Charles Johnson for nearly three rounds before forcing the American to tap to a seldom-seen Suloev stretch.
“Zulfikar” looked in command from the outset, using sharp leg kicks and overhand rights to negate Johnson’s reach advantage. He soon changed levels and secured the first of several takedowns, immediately dictating where the fight would take place.
Johnson found occasional success on the feet in the second round, but every time he attempted to build momentum, Almabayev responded with another takedown or clinch exchange. The Kazakh contender’s relentless pressure and positional control kept “Inner G” on the defensive for much of the fight.
By the final round, Asu Almabayev was firmly in control. He caught a knee from Johnson and converted it into yet another takedown, though he briefly had to survive a triangle choke attempt. Once free, the 31-year-old quickly regained top position, took Johnson’s back, and transitioned into a rare Suloev stretch.
Unable to escape the painful hold, Johnson tapped at the 3:33 mark of the third round.
The victory extends Asu Almabayev’s winning streak to three fights and improves his record to 7-1 in the UFC and 24-3 overall
