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

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 athlete declares.

"My father and I often remark, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles offered superior career prospects for him and his siblings.

The initial idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete their education before enrolling in one of the nation's colleges.

But, life has turned out somewhat different for the Ibragimov household.

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

His siblings have taken a separate route in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a place in the first team.

"Our key thing for us is to squeeze everything out of our sports," says Ibragim.

"I hope them to play for every one of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a another team."

From Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC champions in recent years.

The area has a long history in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was always telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to protect ourselves, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and which is why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it benefited my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he faces lack the same base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really driven – due to wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly capable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected him immediately."

Six years after joining the Manchester United 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 did so in April 2023.

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

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

"I don't think they would play worse than the current first-team players. I think the young guys are hungrier than the current squad members."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

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

'A Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting his MMA skills at a local gym.

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year UFC championship bout.

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

"He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we always used to idolize 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 sometimes fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," 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 dream for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they could do it. It would be massive."