The Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in MMA and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his family's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League star remarks.

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

The 21-year-old departed his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles offered 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 finish school before enrolling in one of the country's universities.

But, life has turned out quite distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His brothers have taken a different path in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the first team.

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

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

From Grapplers to Football Prodigies

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long tradition in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo style and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, however, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

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

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

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my little brothers a great deal."

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the same foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, powerful and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, coaches placed him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly capable holding his own against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

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

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

"One of their scouts saw him play and picked him straight away."

Six years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"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."

"I don't think they would play worse than the existing starters. I think the youngsters are more motivated than the present first-team players."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.

"Gazik, this youngster is gifted," adds 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 the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities at a local gym.

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

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

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

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

Fresh from 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 historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," 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 ambition for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be huge."