Those Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in MMA and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he considers how his clan's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor remarks.

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

The young man departed his home in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles promised better career prospects for him and his siblings.

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

However, reality now looks slightly distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is viewed as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

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

"Our key goal for us is to extract the maximum from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, however, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to begin fighting, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to defend yourself, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

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

"Some of the players he comes up against lack the same base 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. Unaware of his actual age, coaches placed him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly capable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved across the Pennines as a result.

"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 immediately."

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

"Know what he said to me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should allow all the young players get game time now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the existing starters. I think the young guys are hungrier than the present first-team players."

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

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

"He picked up every skill quicker than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

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

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 imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim admits.

"He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we always 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 no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.

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

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