Those Siblings from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his clan's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

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

The 21-year-old left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles offered superior 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 complete school before enrolling in one of the country's universities.

But, reality now looks slightly distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is viewed as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His siblings have taken a different route in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a place in the first team.

"The primary goal for us is to extract everything from our sports," says Ibragim.

"I desire them to represent all of the finest teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long tradition in grappling, thriving in the sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, though, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone 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; obviously, it helped my little brothers a great deal."

"Some of the players he faces lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than comfortable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he moved across 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 picked him immediately."

Half a dozen years after joining 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.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the youthful players play now."

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

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

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

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

'A Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA skills 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 learning under Khabib," Ibragim says.

"He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we constantly used to idolize him when we were growing up."

"Today, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

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

However that does not stop him from occasionally fantasizing of playing for United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to 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 similar to 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 could make it happen. It would be huge."