The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in MMA and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I love it here," the PFL competitor remarks.

"My father and I frequently comment, 'this was 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 covering more than 3,000 miles offered better professional opportunities for him and his siblings.

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

However, reality has turned out somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is viewed as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league.

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

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

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

From Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among fight fans for generating a number of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the combat sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

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

"As a a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, first to defend yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and which is why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

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

Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than comfortable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Six 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 records to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Do you know what he told me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"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 right now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the current starters. I believe the youngsters are hungrier than the present first-team players."

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

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

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

'A Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

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

"Today, 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 says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

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

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he recalls.

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

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a dream for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they could do it. It would be huge."