UFC Middleweight Shara Magomedov meets Neiman Gracie in grappling bout at RAF Moscow on Sept. 5

UFC middleweight Sharabutdin Magomedov and former Bellator and PFL welterweight Neiman Gracie will square off in a grappling match at Real American Freestyle (RAF) Moscow on September 5, the promotion announced on August 24.

Magomedov, known as ‘Shara Bullet’, most recently competed in June, earning a unanimous decision over Michel Pereira inside the UFC. The Russian has prior grappling experience under the Hype FC banner, having faced lightweights Arman Tsarukyan and Edson Barboza in separate contests — both of which ended in draws.

Gracie has not competed since suffering a loss to Magomed Umalatov in the Professional Fighters League in August 2024. The Brazilian’s MMA career has been a mixed chapter since his 2019 Bellator welterweight title challenge against Rory MacDonald, which he lost, going 4-5 in bouts that followed. His most recent grappling outing came at ADXC 1 in 2023, where he submitted Benson Henderson.

The matchup slots into a stacked RAF Moscow lineup that also features Khamzat Chimaev taking on Tyron Woodley at the top of the card. Other confirmed bouts include Anatoly Malykhin vs. Pouya Rahmani, Bo Nickal vs. Shirvani Muradov, and Olympic wrestling champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev vs. Zac Braunagel, making the event a crossover showcase of MMA and elite wrestling talent.

For Magomedov, the contest represents another opportunity to sharpen his submission game ahead of what figures to be a significant UFC campaign, while Gracie — a member of the sport’s most storied grappling dynasty — will be looking to re-establish himself on the mat after more than a year away from competition.