Those Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his family's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

"We frequently say, 'this was the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles promised better professional prospects for him and his brothers.

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

But, life now looks quite distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts fighter and is regarded as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His siblings have taken a separate path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the first team.

"The main thing for us is to extract everything out of our sports," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among fight enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

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

This success is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often pushed to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to combat, and that's why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Many of the players he faces don't have the identical foundation he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, coaches grouped him with boys five years older.

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than comfortable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the same age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he moved across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Six 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 achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They need to let all the youthful players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I think the young guys are hungrier than the present first-team players."

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

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

"He picked up everything quicker than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

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

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 learning under Khabib," Ibragim admits.

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

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

Recently working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

However that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of representing United and stepping 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 says.

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

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