The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in MMA and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he considers how his family's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor declares.

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

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles would provide better career opportunities for him and his brothers.

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

However, life has turned out slightly different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a separate path in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the first team.

"The main thing for us is to squeeze everything from our sports," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a rich tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.

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

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

"So we all got used to combat, and that's why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it assisted my little brothers a great deal."

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

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

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

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

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their scouts watched him play and picked him immediately."

Six years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became 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 should be'," Ibragim says.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should let all the youthful players get game time now."

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the existing first-team players. I believe the young guys are more motivated than the present squad members."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

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

'A Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

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

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

"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 sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

Fresh from working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is eager to win 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 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 says.

"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 would make it happen. It would be massive."