Those Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his family's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete states.

"We frequently remark, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The young man left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles offered superior career prospects for him and his siblings.

The initial idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete school before enrolling in one of the country's colleges.

However, life has turned out slightly distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is seen as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His brothers have taken a different path in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the first team.

"The primary thing for us is to squeeze the maximum out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I desire them to represent all of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among fight fans for producing a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a rich tradition in wrestling, thriving in the sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This success is not a coincidence, though, as youth from the region are often encouraged to take up combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"As a young, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to combat, and that's why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it assisted my little brothers a great deal."

"Some of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, trainers grouped him with boys five years older.

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than comfortable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

Amir was signed, together with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he moved across the Pennines as a result.

"They played Manchester United in a tournament and Amir scored a spectacular free-kick," says Ibragim.

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected him immediately."

Six years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's history to practice with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he told me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim says.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the young players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the current first-team players. I think the youngsters are more motivated than the present squad members."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.

"Gazik, this kid is talented," adds Ibragim.

"He learned every skill faster than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities at a local gym.

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout.

"I never have imagined I would be learning under Khabib," Ibragim says.

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to look up to him when we were growing up."

"Today, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

Fresh from training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

But that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

"Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like a dream come true."

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they would do it. It would be massive."