The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in MMA and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his clan's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I am fond of it here," the PFL competitor declares.

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

The young man departed his home in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better professional opportunities for him and his brothers.

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

But, reality now looks quite different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is regarded as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers have taken a different path in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the first team.

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

"I hope 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 Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical status among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a rich tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as youth from the region are often encouraged to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your relatives, and your friends," 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 highly skilled wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my younger brothers a great deal."

"Some of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and really driven – due to wrestling."

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

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

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

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

The family's time 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 across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Six years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's history to train with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he told me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim says.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to let all the youthful players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the present first-team players."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

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

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

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now 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, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC title fight.

"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 look up to him when we were young."

"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 states he is eager to win a world title of his own one day.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming of representing United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," 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 dream for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would do it. It would be huge."