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

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about 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 competitor remarks.

"My father and I frequently say, 'this was the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles offered superior professional 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.

But, reality now looks quite distinct for the Ibragimov family.

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

His brothers have taken a different path in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a place in the senior squad.

"Our key goal for us is to extract the maximum from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I want them to play for all of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a another team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

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

This achievement is no accident, though, as children from the region are frequently pushed to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

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

"Many of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical foundation he has. That's why he's solid, strong and really driven – because of wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers placed 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 experience in wrestling.

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

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.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should allow all the youthful players play right now."

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

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also made the move 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."

'The Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and spends 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, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout.

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

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

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

Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own one day.

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 with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he says.

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

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they could do it. It would be enormous."