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

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

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

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

The young man left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a move spanning more than 3,000 miles offered better career opportunities for him and his brothers.

The original idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete their education before enrolling in one of the country's colleges.

But, reality has turned out slightly distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

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

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

"I hope them to play for all of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it could be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a rich history in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, first to protect yourself, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"So we all got used to fighting, and which is why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my younger brothers a lot."

"Many of the players he faces don't have the identical base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players because of his background in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the same age, apparently," says Ibragim.

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved over the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and picked him immediately."

Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's history to practice with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he said to me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to 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 worse than the current starters. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the present squad members."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once part of the academy of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He picked up every skill faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

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

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

"I would never have imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim says.

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

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

Fresh from working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.

However that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for United and walking out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

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

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

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