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From Dagestan to Manchester: One Family’s Twin Rise in MMA and Man United’s Academy

Fresh reporting shows Dagestani wrestling roots powering parallel climbs across elite MMA and Manchester United pathways.

Overview

  • Ibragim Ibragimov, 21, is profiled as a rising PFL prospect based in Manchester who spent August training at Khabib Nurmagomedov’s gym and helped Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC title fight.
  • He hones his skills at Manchester Top Team and describes a long-term ambition to headline a PFL event at Old Trafford, framing it as a personal dream rather than a scheduled plan.
  • His younger brothers Amir, 17, Gazik, 16, and Muhammad, 15, are all signed to Manchester United’s academy, with Amir viewed as the closest to a senior breakthrough.
  • Amir trained with Manchester United’s first team at age 15 in April 2023 and, per recent coverage, signed his first professional contract with the club in April 2025.
  • The family left Dagestan for England in 2017 seeking better opportunities, and Ibragim credits their early wrestling base with giving his brothers a physical edge in football.