Renato
“Money†Moicano picked up a quick submission victory in a
grappling match at BJJ Stars 19 ahead of his return to the
Octagon.

The
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight submitted former
Bellator
champion Patricky
Freire in a grappling match in Sao Paulo.

Renato Moicano submits Patricky Freire ahead of UFC return

He needed less than four minutes to secure an arm-triangle choke
after countering a takedown, advancing to mount and forcing the
tap.

This took Moicano's submission grappling record to 3-1. He
previously defeated fellow UFC fighter Chase
Hooper in 2021 and Cristian
Guzman in 2024 before losing to Russia's Yusuf
Raisov. Meanwhile, the result marked Freire's second submission
loss in a grappling match against a UFC athlete, previously losing
to Arman
Tsarukyan last year. Furthermore, “Pitbull†is on a five-five
losing streak in MMA.

Moicano (21-7-1) returns at UFC 331 on Sept. 18 in Los Angeles,
reportedly set to take on Brian
Ortega. The UFC veteran finished Chris
Duncan in the second round in his last MMA bout, bouncing back
from consecutive defeats to Islam
Makhachev and Beneil
Dariush.

Usman Nurmagomedov is now MMA's most prized free agent. | 📷: PFL
MMA

---

Usman
Nurmagomedov has emerged as the most sought-after free agent in
mixed martial arts after completing his contract with the
Professional Fighters League.

Comments from
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana
White and Usman's cousin, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib
Nurmagomedov, suggest his next move could be unveiled soon.

Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals negotiations on Usman
Nurmagomedov's future will commence ‘soon'

Nurmagomedov further extended his perfect record and added to his
value as a free agent with his dominant victory over Archie
Colgan at
PFL New York. While a UFC move is rumored, re-signing with the
PFL could be a possibility amid the promotion's merger with

Most Valuable Promotions.

Notably, PFL CEO John Martin and MVP co-founder Jake Paul
have publicly expressed their desire to retain the undefeated
lightweight champion. However, when asked about Usman following

UFC Belgrade, White confirmed the UFC's interest in the Russian
and later doubled down on the claim with a subtle hint in a social
media post, sharing a smiling emoji.

Khabib also weighed in on Usman's future. In an Instagram post, the
former UFC lightweight champion revealed that negotiations will be
held soon.

“Usman has shown and proven over the last couple of years that he
is the best lightweight outside the UFC,†Khabib wrote on
Instagram. “Not with words, but with his performances. When I said
in 2020 that Islam was the best at that time, there were many
people who disagreed. Believe me guys, there are levels to this
game. You will see for yourselves what happens next. There will be
negotiations over the next month, and very soon you will find out
for yourselves which league he will continue competing in.â€

An elite
middleweight clash headlines PFL Charlotte: Tune on Friday, Aug. 7
at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Dana White had the biggest smile on his face
when asked about signing Usman
Nurmagomedov 😭

“Sure.” pic.twitter.com/5hTcA4lvf8

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
August 1, 2026

🚨 Khabib on Usman
Nurmagomedov’s future 👀

“Usman has shown and proven over the last couple of years that he
is the best lightweight outside the UFC. Not with words, but with
his performances.

When I said in 2020 that Islam was the best at that time, there
were many people who… https://t.co/EAaGN086db pic.twitter.com/4DYLQ0XjNf

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
August 1, 2026

Real American Freestyle continues to bolster its growing roster of

Ultimate Fighting Championship talent.

The freestyle wrestling promotion recently announced that
Sharabutdin “Shara Bullet” Magomedov has signed with RAF. He joins
other current UFC stars like Merab
Dvalishvili, Belal
Muhammad and Khamzat
Chimaev in joining the promotion.

Shara Bullet Magomedov becomes latest UFC fighter to join RAF
crossover wrestling

Magomedov's arrival at RAF comes after the promotion recently
introduced its crossover championship titles, allowing active MMA
fighters to compete for belts separate from the promotion’s elite
freestyle wrestlers.

Magomedov owns a 17-1 professional MMA record and has established
himself as a fan favorite in the UFC’s middleweight division. After
opening his career with 15 consecutive victories, “Shara Bullet”
suffered his first professional loss via decision to Michael
Page before rebounding with back-to-back wins over Michel
Pereira and Marc-Andre
Barriault.

The 31-year-old has also competed in grappling competitions outside
MMA, making the transition to RAF’s crossover format a natural fit.
He has previously faced Edson
Barboza and Arman
Tsarukyan on the mat.

RAF has continued to expand aggressively in recent months, adding
several recognizable UFC names while staging crossover events
featuring former champions and established contenders.

Shara Magomedov is RAF 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qqgpSvOdr4

— Real American Freestyle (@RAFWrestlingUSA)
July 31, 2026