Born in Dagestan but calling England home, featherweight Ibragim Ibragimov got his start with the PFL last year, going 2-0 and landing himself a spot on the Champions Series: Road to Dubai card this weekend.
Paired up with Kenny Mokhonoana, a Bellator vet making his return for the first time in over a year, Ibragimov (8-0), though young, has a game plan moving forward: win a couple of PFL titles.
“I’m only 20 years of age. The goal for me is PFL European championship first, and then the year after, the world championship, the Global one,” Ibragimov told Cageside Press in a recent interview. “That’s the target, that’s the next goal for me. I need to win the PFL European belt, then the world championship belt. So I want to be European champion and the world champion.”
Dagestan has earned itself as reputation as producing some of the toughest fighters on the planet, and the team now led by Khabib Nurmagomedov, stepping in for his late father, Adbulmanap, leads the charge. Having trained under the UFC Hall of Famer, Ibragim Ibramgimov spoke on what has made the camp so successful.
“Obviously Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, they were at the same stage where we are right now, but they didn’t have a gym like us. Now they’ve got a massive gym, everything included, they’ve got everything in there. Back in the day, they had a small gym, Abdulmanap was the coach, they didn’t even have showers inside, but now we’ve got everything.”
Nurmagomedov and Makhachev “are the big examples for the gym,” Ibragimov added. “Everyone, like myself and everyone else, we’re all looking up to them. And then training, trying to be like them, training together, getting advice from the guys like Khabib and Islam Makhachev and the other big name fighters, because we’ve got so many big names in that gym. And they’re all sharing information, they’re all sharing their experience so I would say that’s why they’re the best gym in the world let’s say. For sure.”
Looking ahead to Kenny Mokhonoana, Ibragimov acknowledged that “he’s a good fighter. Long arms, tall guy,” but added that his opponent “obviously has some problems with the wrestling defense. He can wrestle, he’s a good fighter, I respect him as a fighter but I’m going to go out there and do my best, I’m going to do what I have to do. I’ll be going for a finish.”
Watch our full interview with PFL featherweight Ibragim Ibragimov above. PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai takes place Saturday, January 25, 2025 in Dubai, UAE.