Those Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in MMA and with Manchester United.

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

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete declares.

"My father and I frequently comment, 'this was the nation I should have been born in.'"

The young man left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better 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 complete school before joining one of the country's colleges.

But, reality now looks quite distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His brothers have chosen a different path in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a spot in the senior squad.

"The main goal for us is to squeeze the maximum out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among combat sports fans for producing a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a rich history in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, though, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

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

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Many of the footballers he faces don't have the identical 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 grouped him with boys significantly older.

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players because of 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 brief, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to practice with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should let all the youthful players play now."

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

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

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

"He picked up every skill quicker than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at a local gym.

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

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

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

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

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

However that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of representing United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I owned 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 like 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 make it happen. It would be massive."