Those Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he thinks about how his clan's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor states.

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

The young man departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles would provide superior career prospects for him and his siblings.

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

However, life now looks somewhat different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts athlete and is seen as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His brothers have taken a different route in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to extract the maximum from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

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

The region has a long history in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

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

"When I was young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, first to protect ourselves, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, and that's why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Many of the footballers he comes up against lack the same base he has. That's why he's solid, strong and really competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, coaches placed him with boys significantly older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than comfortable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and picked 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 practice with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

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

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I believe the young guys are more motivated than the current first-team players."

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

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

"He learned everything quicker than the others. He's a solid 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 also moved to Manchester and spends most of his days honing 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 championship bout.

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

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

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

Recently working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

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

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

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

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