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

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

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor remarks.

"My father and I often remark, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better professional prospects for him and his brothers.

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.

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

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is regarded as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a different path in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the first team.

"The main goal for us is to extract everything from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I hope them to represent every one of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long history in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, however, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to protect ourselves, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my little brothers a great deal."

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and really competitive – due to wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was more than capable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the same age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Six years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

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

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I believe the youngsters are hungrier than the present first-team players."

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

"Gazik, this youngster is talented," continues Ibragim.

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

'The Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year UFC title fight.

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

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

"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 prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of representing United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had 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 like a fantasy realized."

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