The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in MMA and at Man Utd.

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

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

"We often remark, 'this was the country I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better professional prospects for him and his brothers.

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

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

Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is seen as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a separate route in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the senior squad.

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

"I desire them to represent all of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a different team."

From Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC champions in the past few years.

The region has a rich history in grappling, excelling in the sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, though, as children from the region are often encouraged to begin fighting, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

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

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

"Many of the players he faces don't have the same foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and really driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

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

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

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

Half a dozen years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's records to train with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should let all the young players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I think the young guys are hungrier than the current squad members."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

"He learned everything faster than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

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

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always 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 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 stop him from occasionally dreaming 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 always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he says.

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

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