Those Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his clan's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League star remarks.

"We frequently remark, 'this was the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised 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.

However, life now looks somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov family.

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

His siblings have chosen a different path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the senior squad.

"The primary thing for us is to squeeze everything from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to play for all of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

From Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical reputation among fight enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long history in wrestling, thriving in the sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

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

"When I was a kid, my dad was always telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my younger brothers a great deal."

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

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

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

"They believed Amir and I were the identical age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved across the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their scouts saw him play and selected him immediately."

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 history to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the young players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current starters. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the current squad members."

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

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

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

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also 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 late-year UFC championship bout.

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

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

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

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

However that does not prevent him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to 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 fantasy realized."

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