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

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I adore it here," the PFL athlete states.

"We frequently remark, 'this was the nation I should have been born in.'"

The young man left his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a move spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better 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 finish their education before joining one of the country's colleges.

However, life has turned out somewhat different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is seen as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His siblings have taken a separate path in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the first team.

"Our key goal for us is to extract the maximum out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I desire them to represent every one of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it could be a another team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight fans for generating a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a rich tradition in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, however, as children from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

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

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

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

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the same base he has. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than capable competing against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

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

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

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

"They faced Manchester United in a competition and Amir scored 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 was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to train with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to allow all the young players play now."

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

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

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

"He learned everything faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA skills at a local gym.

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC title fight.

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to look up to him when we were young."

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

Fresh from training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is eager to claim a world title of his own one day.

However 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 always used to play as Man United, scoring with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

"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 officials about it to see if they would do it. It would be massive."