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Asu Almabayev Hits Rare Suloev Stretch For Victory At UFC Baku

ByThomas AlbanoMixed Martial Arts Journalist

For just the fourth time in UFC history, a fighter has won with the Suloev stretch submission hold, as Asu Almabayev successfully used it in his victory over Charles Johnson at UFC Baku.

The bout was a dominant performance by Almabayev, who scored multiple takedowns on Johnson after some early success with his boxing. Almabayev, despite Johnson’s best attempts, kept Johnson grounded for a significant portion of the bout.

After securing back control during the third round, Almabayev grabbed a hold of one of Johnson’s legs, pulling it back to lock in the Suloev stretch and score the tap.

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Asu Almabayev Scores Fourth Suloev Stretch Submission In UFC History At UFC Baku

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Almabayev is now 7-1 in the UFC and on a three-fight win streak. The top-10-ranked flyweight entered this fight off a submission of Alex Perez.

Johnson is 2-3 since the start of 2025 and 6-3 since the start of 2024.

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