Those Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in MMA and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his clan's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League star declares.

"We always comment, 'this was the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide superior professional opportunities for him and his brothers.

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

However, life now looks quite distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is regarded as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His brothers have chosen a different route in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the senior squad.

"Our key thing for us is to extract the maximum out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I desire them to play for every one of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it could be a different team."

From Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a rich history in wrestling, thriving in the sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to take up fighting, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to defend yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my little brothers a lot."

"Some of the footballers he faces lack the same base he possesses. 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 real age, coaches grouped him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly capable holding his own against older players because of his background in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the same age, apparently," says Ibragim.

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

"They faced Manchester United in a tournament and Amir netted a brilliant free-kick," says Ibragim.

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

Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's history to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the young players get game time now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the existing starters. I think the young guys are hungrier than the present squad members."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once part of the academy of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

"He picked up every skill quicker than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC title fight.

"I would never have imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim admits.

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to idolize him when we were young."

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

Fresh from working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is eager to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming of representing United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he says.

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

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