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

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his clan's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

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

"My father and I often remark, 'this was the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The young man left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles offered superior career opportunities for him and his siblings.

The original plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish their education before joining one of the country's universities.

However, life has turned out somewhat different for the Ibragimov family.

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

His siblings have chosen a different path in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a place in the first team.

"The main goal for us is to extract everything from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

From Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight fans for producing a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long history in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is not a coincidence, however, as youth from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

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

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

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my younger brothers a lot."

"Many of the footballers he comes up against don't have the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly driven – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, coaches grouped him with boys significantly older.

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than capable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's history to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

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

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current starters. I think the young guys are hungrier than the present squad members."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

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

'A Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year UFC championship bout.

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

"He was the greatest 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 training with Islam Makhachev."

Recently training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own one day.

However that does not prevent him from sometimes fantasizing 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 constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he says.

"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 would do it. It would be huge."