Ex-UFC middleweight Shara Magomedov faces Neiman Gracie at RAF Moscow on September 5

Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov will make his RAF debut against Neiman Gracie at RAF Moscow, scheduled for Russia’s VTB Arena on September 5. The promotion confirmed the matchup on Monday, pitting two fighters with deep grappling pedigrees against each other on the mats.

Magomedov, better known in MMA circles as Shara Bullet, has built a reputation as one of the UFC middleweight division’s most watchable prospects. The Dagestan-born fighter carries a 17-1 MMA record, going 6-1 inside the octagon. His two most recent bouts produced decision victories over Michel Pereira and Marc-Andre Barriault. Beyond MMA, Magomedov has already tested himself in submission grappling, going the distance with Edson Barboza and Arman Tsarukyan in unscored exhibitions for Hype FC.

Gracie arrives at RAF Moscow with a 13-6 MMA record and a long history in elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition. The 37-year-old is perhaps best remembered for his run in Bellator’s welterweight division, where he challenged champion Rory MacDonald for the 170-pound title in 2019. His most recent MMA appearance came in 2024 under the PFL banner, where he fell to Magomed Umalatov in a welterweight tournament semifinal.

The bout marks the first time Gracie has competed for a major U.S.-linked promotion since that PFL exit, and his first outing on the RAF mats. For Magomedov, the assignment represents a new competitive avenue alongside his UFC commitments, with the grappling format placing a premium on the submission skills that have always underpinned his striking-heavy MMA game.

RAF Moscow at the VTB Arena on September 5 will serve as the backdrop for what shapes up as a technically compelling clash between a rising UFC contender and a Gracie family representative with decades of high-level grappling in his lineage.