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

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he considers how his clan's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete remarks.

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

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles promised better professional opportunities for him and his brothers.

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

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

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts athlete and is regarded as one of the top talents in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His siblings have taken a different route in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to squeeze the maximum out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I desire 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."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical status among fight fans for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long tradition in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is no accident, however, as children from the region are often pushed to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, first to defend yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to combat, and that's why everyone 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; obviously, it assisted my little brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he faces lack the identical base he has. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, coaches placed him with boys significantly older.

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

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

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware 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," recalls Ibragim.

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

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford 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.

"Know what he told me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

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

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

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

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

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

'A Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we constantly used to look up to 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 unsurprising Ibragim states he is eager to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for United and stepping 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 with legendary players," he recalls.

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

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they could do it. It would be enormous."