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

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his family's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

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

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

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

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

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

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a leading MMA organization.

His siblings have chosen a different route in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the senior squad.

"The main goal for us is to extract the maximum out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I want them to play for every one of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it could be a another team."

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the sambo style and producing a host of 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 a kid, my dad was always telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my little brothers a lot."

"Some of the footballers he comes up against lack the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and really competitive – because of wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, coaches placed him with boys significantly older.

He was unfazed by the mistake and was more than comfortable holding his own against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

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

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

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

Six 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 first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should allow all the youthful players get game time now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the current squad members."

Since then, 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," continues Ibragim.

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

'The Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"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 training with Islam Makhachev."

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

However that does not prevent him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to 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.

"Now, 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 discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they would do it. It would be enormous."