Those Siblings from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd.

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

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete states.

"We always remark, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide superior professional prospects for him and his brothers.

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

But, life now looks somewhat different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts fighter and is seen as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

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

"Our key thing for us is to extract the maximum out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I want them to represent every one of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it might be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a rich tradition in wrestling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, though, as children from the region are often encouraged to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"As a a kid, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to defend ourselves, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, and that's why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my little brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he faces don't have the same base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and really driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly capable competing against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Six years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should let all the youthful players get game time now."

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

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.

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

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

'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days honing his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC title fight.

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

"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 training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

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

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

"Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's similar to a dream come true."

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