The 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 family's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I am fond of it here," the PFL star remarks.

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

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better professional prospects for him and his siblings.

The initial idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish school before joining one of the country's universities.

But, life now looks quite different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is regarded as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a different path in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to squeeze everything from our sports," explains Ibragim.

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

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among combat sports fans for generating a slew of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a long history in grappling, excelling in the sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to begin fighting, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, first to protect yourself, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and which is why people 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 benefited my younger brothers a great deal."

"Many of the footballers he comes up against lack the same base he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, trainers placed him with boys five years older.

He was unfazed by the mistake and was more than capable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred over the Pennines as a result.

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

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

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 history to train with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"Can he 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 starters. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the present squad members."

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

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

"He picked up every skill faster than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting 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 training under Khabib," Ibragim says.

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

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

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

But 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 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 dream for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be enormous."