Prediction for the fight Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs Charles Johnson

After signing Zhalgas Zhumagulov to the UFC, his loyal fans expected great success from their countryman in the promotion octagon. However, the Kazakh athlete could not settle into a new home, and now his career in the western league is in jeopardy. The last chance to save a place in the roster for Jaco will be a fight against Charles Johnson.

Last summer, the American debuted in the UFC, having suffered a defeat, and therefore for him the upcoming meeting at Fight Night 215, which will take place on November 20, is a great opportunity to express himself in front of the public in Las Vegas. The fighters represent different techniques, so the interest in their confrontation only increases from this. So who will win in the end?

• Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs Charles Johnson;
• Zhalgas Zhumagulov;
• Charles Johnson;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs Charles Johnson

Zhalgas Zhumagulov

Zhako is the third athlete from Kazakhstan to be signed to the UFC. Having a solid amateur MMA career behind him, where Zalgas took the belts of several regional leagues in his homeland, he successfully turned pro. Speaking under the auspices of Fight Nights, Zhumagulov was able to win the flyweight title, as well as successfully defend it. On this path, the athlete passed such monsters as Tyson Nam, Ali Bagautinov, Tagir Ulanbekov and other eminent counterparts.

Strengths

Due to the peculiarities of anthropometry, Zhalgas was forced to learn to fight at close range. That is why his favorite part of the job is hitting all the floors equally. Drilling under the opponent's arms, he discharges with protracted combinations to the body, with transfers to the head through hooks and overhands, and the picture is complemented by heavy low kicks. It is in the wheelhouse and at the net that he reveals his full potential.

Weaknesses

Returning to the dimensions of Zhumagulov, we note that the lack of height and arm span prevents him from coping with larger opponents, not being able to interrupt them from a distance, which would reduce the damage received. Yes, and rare passages to the legs, ending in success, also play a role. Less than 20% of takedown attempts hit the target, not to mention the fact that the Kazakh himself defends mediocrely from the same attacks.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Zalgas is 34 years old, and his statistics look depressing: 4 defeats in 5 last fights, where he lost to Rauliano Paiva, Amir Albazi, Manel Cape and Jeff Molina. Only Jerome Rivera caught him on the guillotine, otherwise, Jaco experienced great difficulties in choosing the distance and the correct game plan. The fighter is in good shape, even if he does not shine with endurance even in fights for 3 rounds, but he cannot cope with the problem of size, therefore, even in the case of technical superiority over his counterpart, everything can turn against him.

Charles Johnson

The athlete is a purebred drummer, who previously often trained in Tiger Muay Thai. After numerous appearances in the regional leagues in the United States, he moved to the LFA, where he did not have the best start, but then he was able to take the championship belt in the 57 kg division. Despite the low popularity, Charles managed to fight with a couple of eminent counterparts outside the UFC: Brandon Royal and Carlos Mota - the opposition with which he is ready to give out quality performances.

Strengths

Johnson is a bright representative of Thai style. He demonstrates a fairly high accuracy of work, hits the body abundantly (about half of the thrown blows fly there), although in the overall standings he is not an adherent of aggressive combat. A measured mode of attacks, in particular the first number, is an ideal scheme for an American. He also defends quite well against takedowns and knits opponents, finding himself on his back, practically preventing them from doing even minimal damage.

Weaknesses

Obviously, with such a base, Charles simply cannot prove himself worthy on the ground floor. He has submission victories, but they were won over low-level opposition. And as soon as he met wrestlers, defeats appeared in his statistics. Again, the inability to get out from under the enemy, fight near the net and counterattack on the ground negate many of Johnson's virtues in the stance.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Charles is 31 years old, and before his debut in the UFC, he went to a series of 4 victories: Carly Pangilinan, Yuma Horiuchi, Joao Neto and Carlos Mota could not oppose this American. But, in the very first fight under the banner of the major league, he lost to Muhammad Mokaev - the fight became a stumbling block in this fight. In any case, Johnson is in excellent condition, he repeatedly fought in protracted bouts, feeling confident at a distance of 25 minutes, and he will be perfectly prepared for the upcoming confrontation, since this is the 3rd fight in 2022, and he has time to prepare it was more than enough.

Comparative analysis

In every fight where Zhalgas takes part, his opponents have an advantage in anthropometry, but this is a special case. Almost 13 cm in height and 9 in arm span is a significant gap that will play a key role in this fight. As a striker, Charles is noticeably better than the Kazakh, as he strikes too sweepingly, lowering his head and falling on the enemy. At the same time, Johnson skillfully meets opposition with kicks, and uses his front hand with good timing.

Given the gap in size, it’s also not worth saying that Zhumagulov will have global superiority in close combat, and the low percentage of successful takedowns will not allow him to bring down the American while he is fresh. Neither in cardio, nor in any other aspects, Jaco is superior to Charles, however, he has a path to victory.

Zalgas is good at being able to “endure”, skipping punch after punch, and creating a pressure wave that sooner or later fetters basic drummers who need space. It is due to the pressure and the large amount of work performed that he can take 1-1.5 rounds. In the future, his endurance will not allow him to keep pace, where Johnson will get the opportunity to demonstrate his arsenal.

Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs Charles Johnson Prediction

Jalgas once again suffers for his size, and while he is technically superior to Johnson due to his base in the ground, the American's weight and size will not give him much scope to unlock his advantages. In all likelihood, Charles will be able to repel Jaco's attacks from distance, and in the clinch he will have no trouble with holding back his opponent's take down attempts. On top of that, by round 3, Zhumagulov will definitely lose his cardio, and his footwork, along with his trademark overhand, won't work as well as they did in the opening round. Because of this, their bout has every chance of dragging on, and the Kazakh's starting fervour will be replaced by the occasional superiority of his opponent, which could most likely lead to a victory for Charles by referee's decision. As an option, you can use a bet on the duration of the fight, as you should not expect a finish from either of them, it's not often that the guys lose early (the meeting with Manel Kape can be considered an exception). Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Charles Johnson to win/Total over 2.5