Charles Johnson got ASU Almabayev next less than 24 hours after beating Bruno Silva. The UFC flyweight is in Baku this weekend, and the booking puts him back into a top 10 conversation after January’s knockout loss to Alex Perez.
Johnson’s March win came by split decision over Bruno Silva at Meta APEX. He said he left that fight with more than a win on paper: his foot had already broken two weeks before the bout, and he was in a boot immediately afterward.
Johnson’s March fight
Johnson said he felt he won the Bruno Silva fight every time he went to the corner. He also said the result carried extra weight because the loss to Alex Perez in January had been on his mind during camp, and he had to work through that before he ever stepped in.
The foot problem changed his preparation. Johnson said his foot went through the cage and broke, but he kept training even though he could not jump rope or push off on it the way he normally would. That left him having to rely on a different fight plan once the bout started.
Boot after Meta APEX
Johnson said the performance still gave his team reason to be pleased. He said he outstruck Bruno Silva, outdamaged him and prevented a takedown, then went straight into recovery in the boot after the fight.
The timing of what came next was even faster. Johnson said his next assignment arrived less than 24 hours after the win, a pace he linked to the way Mick Maynard moves. That quick booking is what turned a rebound into a direct step toward the UFC flyweight top 10.
Baku and the top 10
Asu Almabayev now sits between Johnson and that climb. The matchup in Baku gives Johnson another chance to turn a split decision into momentum, and it comes after a stretch that started with a first-round knockout loss in January and moved through a broken foot in camp.
For Johnson, the practical test is simple: whether the foot holds up under another hard week and whether the short turnaround leaves him with the same sharpness he had against Bruno Silva. The next step is already set, and it is happening in Baku this weekend.
