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

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his clan's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

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

The 21-year-old left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles promised better career prospects 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 joining one of the nation's universities.

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

Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is regarded as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His siblings have taken a different path in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the senior squad.

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

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

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among combat sports fans for generating a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

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

This achievement is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are frequently pushed to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to protect yourself, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to combat, and that's why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

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

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the same base he has. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly driven – due to wrestling."

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

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

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved over the Pennines as a result.

"They played Manchester United in a competition 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 signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's records to practice with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should allow all the young players play now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the current first-team players. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the current 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 youngster is gifted," continues Ibragim.

"He learned everything quicker than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout.

"I would 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 young."

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

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

But that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of playing for United and walking out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he says.

"Now, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like a fantasy realized."

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be huge."