Those Siblings from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his clan's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I adore it here," the PFL competitor remarks.

"We always remark, 'this was the nation I should have been born in.'"

The young man left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better professional opportunities for him and his brothers.

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 nation's colleges.

But, life now looks somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is seen as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a different route in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the senior squad.

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

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical status among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the combat sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to take up combat sports, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your family, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, 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 younger brothers a lot."

"Many of the footballers he comes up against lack the same base he has. That's why he's solid, 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 real age, trainers placed him with boys five years older.

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

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

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

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the young players play now."

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the existing first-team players. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the current first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.

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

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

'A Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting 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 prepare for a November UFC title fight.

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

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

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

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

However that does not prevent him from sometimes 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 always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

"Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's similar to a dream come true."

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a dream for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they would do it. It would be enormous."