The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his clan's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor declares.

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

The young man left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a relocation 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 school before joining one of the country's universities.

However, reality has turned out quite different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is viewed as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His brothers have chosen a separate path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to extract everything out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I desire them to play for all of the finest teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it might be a another team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical status among fight enthusiasts for generating a slew of UFC champions in recent years.

The area has a long history in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are often encouraged to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to defend ourselves, 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 not a surprise."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my little brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he comes up against don't have the same base he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and really driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players because of his background in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the same age, so the story goes," remarks Ibragim.

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Half a dozen years after signing for 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 senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

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

"In my opinion they would play worse than the current starters. I think the youngsters are more motivated than the present squad members."

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 gifted," continues Ibragim.

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

'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year 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 always used to idolize him when we were growing up."

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

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

However that does not stop him from sometimes dreaming of playing for United and stepping 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 with legendary players," he recalls.

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

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