Those Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete declares.

"We always say, 'this was the nation 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 better professional opportunities for him and his brothers.

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

However, reality has turned out slightly distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts fighter and is seen as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His siblings have chosen a different route in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the senior squad.

"The main thing for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I want them to represent all of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."

From Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among combat sports fans for producing a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are frequently pushed to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend ourselves, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the identical foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and really competitive – because of wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older.

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

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

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Six 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 history to practice with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

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

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

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

'A Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC title fight.

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

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

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

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

However that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing 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 always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he recalls.

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

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