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

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he considers how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor remarks.

"We always say, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles offered better professional prospects for him and his brothers.

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

But, reality has turned out somewhat different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts fighter and is viewed as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His siblings have taken a separate path in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the senior squad.

"Our key goal for us is to extract everything out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I want them to play for every one of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it might be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a long tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to defend yourself, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and really competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only 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 not intimidated by the mistake and was more than capable holding his own against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the same age, so the story goes," says Ibragim.

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred 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 straight away."

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

"Do you know what he said to me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim says.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They need to let all the young players get game time now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the current starters. I think the young guys are more motivated than the current first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

"He picked up everything faster than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at a local gym.

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC title fight.

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

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

"Now, I'm here in his gym and training with Islam Makhachev."

Recently working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.

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

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

"Now, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like a fantasy realized."

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