UFC on ABC 9: Asu Almabayev vs Jose Ochoa

At UFC on ABC 9, held on July 26, 2025, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, Asu Almabayev walked in determined to put his previous loss behind him and impose his trademark grappling style against the young and hungry Jose Ochoa. The fight began with Almabayev pressing forward immediately, pinning Ochoa to the fence and dragging him to the mat, where he blended control with moments of striking. A right hand followed by a high kick in the opening round set the tone and reminded everyone that he could do damage standing as well as on the ground.

The second round saw Jose Ochoa trying to shift the momentum with faster hands and combinations, but Almabayev’s pressure never wavered. Every time Ochoa found space, he was smothered again and forced to defend from his back. Ochoa looked for submissions, first with an armbar and later transitioning to a triangle, but the Kazakh fighter’s balance and calmness nullified the danger. Control and mat awareness kept Almabayev ahead on the scorecards as the crowd roared at every scramble.

In the final round, Ochoa still came forward throwing, but he couldn’t stop Asu Almabayev from locking up the clinch and landing another takedown. Even when Ochoa attempted a guillotine as they hit the canvas, Almabayev slipped free and answered with sharp uppercuts as they stood. It was a round filled with grit, both men pushing until the last horn, yet Almabayev’s control and ability to mix strikes with grappling sealed his advantage.

When the scorecards were read, the judges saw it unanimously for Almabayev with tallies of 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28. The win moves him back into the top-10 flyweight conversation, showing that his blend of chain wrestling and composed striking remains a problem for anyone in the division. Ochoa, though on the wrong side of the decision, left with respect for his persistence and ability to keep the fight competitive against a seasoned contender.