Asu Almabayev submits Charles Johnson at UFC Baku with rare Suloev stretch

Asu Almabayev pulled off one of the rarest submission finishes in mixed martial arts (MMA) earlier today (Sat., June 27, 2026) at UFC Baku LIVE on Paramount+ from inside National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan, stopping flyweight veteran Charles Johnson with a third-round Suloev stretch. It is just the fourth time that a UFC fight […]

Only the fourth Suloev stretch in UFC history took place at UFC Baku

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - JUNE 27: (R-L) Asu Almabayev of Kazakstan secures a submission against Charles Johnson in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at National Gymnastics Arena on June 27, 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Asu Almabayev has joined a very short list. Almabayev faced Charles Johnson in a main card matchup on Saturday’s UFC Baku card. After a dominant first two rounds, the outstanding performance for Almabayev continued into Round 3 before he caught Johnson in a Suloev stretch, getting the tap at 3:33 of the final stanza. Check out the incredibly rare finish from Almabayev below. 🚨 SULOEV STRETCH ALERT! 🚨 #UFCBaku pic.twitter.com/gyBd8OlmEN — MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) June 27, 2026 It was just the fourth Suloev stretch submission in the history of the UFC. Almabayev improved his record to 7-1 in the UFC, and picked up his third straight victory with his absolute best showing in his promotional run. The lone UFC loss for Almabayev came against Manel Kape in the main event of UFC Vegas 105 in March 2025. The 32-year-old tapped out Alex Perez in his previous outing at UFC Qatar in November. With the loss, Johnson—the last fighter to defeat current flyweight champion Joshua Van—has now flip-flopped wins and losses over his past six outings.

Asu Almabayev scored the first Suloev stretch submission in flyweight history vs. Charles Johnson at UFC Baku.