Those Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his clan's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

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

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

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

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

But, reality now looks quite different for the Ibragimov household.

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

His siblings have chosen a different route in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to extract the maximum out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight fans for generating a number of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a rich history in grappling, excelling in the sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This success is no accident, however, as children from the region are frequently pushed to take up combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to defend yourself, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it assisted my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the footballers he faces lack the same foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really 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 oversight and was more than capable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, apparently," says Ibragim.

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their talent spotters saw 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 youngest 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 should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should let all the young players play now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the current first-team players."

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 youngster is talented," adds Ibragim.

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

'The Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout.

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

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

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

Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.

However that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of representing United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he recalls.

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

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