Asu Almabayev and Charles Johnson meet on the UFC Fight Night 280 main card Saturday at National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Last event’s results: 4-1
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UFC main cards, 2026: 64-36-1
Asu Almabayev vs. Charles Johnson UFC Fight Night 280 preview
Almabayev (23-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) enters his first fight of the year after back-to-back wins over Jose Ochoa and Alex Perez. The first loss of his UFC tenure came three fights ago, against top contender Manel Kape.
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Johnson (19-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) won a split decision over Bruno Silva in March. He’s traded wins and losses over his last four, but is 6-2 since 2024.
Asu Almabayev vs. Charles Johnson UFC Fight Night 280 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card for UFC Fight Night 280 is a solid offering at flyweight between Asu Almabayev and Charles Johnson.
Although Johnson is easily one of the most maddening fighters to try to forecast on the UFC’s roster, “Inner G” has proven that he has the skills to both compete and beat the best in the division. And despite this appearing to be a tough fight for the American on paper, I ended up with a sneaky suspicion that Johnson could be live for the upset after taking a second glance.
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Johnson may have initially struggled against takedowns at the beginning of his UFC run, but the 35-year-old has since shown improvements in that area, defending nearly three-quarters of the attempts that now come his way.
Whereas Almabayev, who has been on the fortunate end of some scorecards and momentum swings alike, still shows struggles when trying to set up his takedowns with strikes off the back foot (a place where the Kazakh’s striking defense also falls apart when pushed).
I’m surprising myself with this pick, but give me Johnson to win by knockout in Round 2.
Asu Almabayev vs. Charles Johnson UFC Fight Night 280 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the fighter from Kazakhstan, listing Alamabayev -260 and Johnson +205 via FanDuel.
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Asu Almabayev vs. Charles Johnson UFC Fight Night 280 start time, how to watch
Almabayev and Johnson are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 1:10 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on Paramount+.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Asu Almabayev vs. Charles Johnson prediction, pick for UFC Fight Night 280
