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

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

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

"We frequently comment, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles offered better career prospects for him and his siblings.

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

But, reality now looks quite different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is seen as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league.

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

"The main thing for us is to squeeze everything from our sports," explains Ibragim.

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

From Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies

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

The area has a rich history in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are often encouraged to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, first to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

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

"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 footballers he comes up against don't have the same base he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and really competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older.

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than capable holding his own against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Half a dozen years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should allow all the young players get game time now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the current first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.

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

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

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

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

"I would never have imagined I would be learning under Khabib," Ibragim admits.

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to idolize him when we were young."

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

Recently working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.

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

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring with legendary players," he recalls.

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

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