Those Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his family's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I am fond of it here," the PFL athlete declares.

"My father and I often remark, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a move spanning more than 3,000 miles offered 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 finish their education before enrolling in one of the country's colleges.

But, reality now looks slightly different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is seen as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His brothers have taken a different route in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the first team.

"Our key goal for us is to extract everything from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to represent every one of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a different team."

From Grapplers to Football Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a rich history in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often pushed to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect ourselves, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Many of the players he faces lack the identical base he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than comfortable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines as a result.

"They faced 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."

Six years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's history to train with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should let all the youthful players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the current first-team players. I believe the youngsters are hungrier than the present squad members."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

"Gazik, this kid is talented," 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."

'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC title fight.

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

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

"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 stop him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and stepping 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 with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

"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 would do it. It would be massive."