Those Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he reflects on how his family's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I love it here," the PFL athlete declares.

"My father and I always say, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'"

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

The original 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 universities.

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

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is seen as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His brothers have chosen a different route in athletics and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the first team.

"The primary goal for us is to extract everything from our sports," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight fans for producing a number of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a long history in wrestling, excelling in the sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are often encouraged to begin fighting, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

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

"Some of the players he faces lack the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, coaches placed him with boys significantly older.

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

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

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

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

"They faced Manchester United in a tournament and Amir scored a brilliant free-kick," says Ibragim.

"One of their talent spotters saw him play and selected him straight away."

Half a dozen 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 history to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

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

"In my opinion they would play worse than the current first-team players. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the current squad members."

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

"Gazik, this youngster is gifted," 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."

'A Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and spends most of his days honing 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 November UFC championship bout.

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

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

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

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

However that does not stop 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 with legendary players," 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 goal for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they would do it. It would be enormous."