Those Siblings from Dagestan 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 in 2017.

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

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

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better career prospects for him and his brothers.

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

But, reality has turned out quite different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His siblings have taken a different route in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a place in the senior squad.

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

"I hope them to play for every one of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight fans for producing a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

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

This success is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to protect yourself, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to combat, and which is why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

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

"Some of the footballers he faces don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's solid, strong and really driven – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, trainers grouped him with boys five years older.

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

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their scouts saw him play and selected him immediately."

Six 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 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? 100%. They need to allow all the young players play now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I believe the young guys are more motivated 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 kid is talented," adds Ibragim.

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

'A Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now 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 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 admits.

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

"Today, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

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

But that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of playing for United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to 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 says.

"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 huge."