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

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

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete declares.

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

The 21-year-old left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better professional opportunities for him and his brothers.

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

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

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the prime talents 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 position in the first team.

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

"I want them to represent all of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it could be a different team."

From Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight fans for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a rich history in grappling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This success 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 stand.

"When I was young, my dad was always instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my little brothers a great deal."

"Some of the players he comes up against don't have the identical base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces 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 perfectly capable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he moved over the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their scouts saw him play and selected him straight away."

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

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

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

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

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

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

'A Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year UFC championship bout.

"I 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 sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

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

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

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

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

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