The Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in MMA and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his family's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I love it here," the PFL star states.

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

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

The original 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 now looks quite different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts fighter and is viewed as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His brothers have chosen a different path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the senior squad.

"Our key thing for us is to extract everything from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I want them to represent all of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it could be a another team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in recent years.

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

This achievement is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to protect yourself, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to combat, and which is why everyone knows 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 little brothers a great deal."

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

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, coaches grouped him with boys significantly older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than comfortable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as just weeks after signing for 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 competition and Amir netted a spectacular free-kick," recalls Ibragim.

"One of their scouts watched him play and selected 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.

"Do you 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 young players get game time right now."

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

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

"Gazik, this kid is talented," adds Ibragim.

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

'A Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

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

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we constantly used to idolize him when we were growing up."

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

Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.

But that does not stop him from sometimes dreaming 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 constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he says.

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

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be enormous."