Those Siblings from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he reflects on how his clan's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete remarks.

"My father and I always say, 'this is the nation I ought to have been born in.'"

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

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

However, life has turned out quite 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 major MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a different path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the senior squad.

"The main thing for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight fans for producing a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The area has a rich tradition in grappling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, however, as children from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it assisted my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he faces don't have the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

Amir was only 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 competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, so the story goes," says Ibragim.

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

"They played 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 joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's history to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to let all the youthful players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the current starters. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the present squad members."

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

"Gazik, this youngster is gifted," adds Ibragim.

"He learned every skill quicker than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

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

"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 one day.

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

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring 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 ambition for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they could do it. It would be massive."