Those Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his clan's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League star declares.

"We often comment, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better career prospects 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 joining one of the country's colleges.

But, life now looks slightly distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is viewed as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His brothers have chosen a different path in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the senior squad.

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

"I want them to play for all of the finest teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it could be a different team."

From Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

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

The region has a long history in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, though, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

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

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

"Many of the footballers he faces don't have the same base he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, coaches placed him with boys five years older.

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

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

Amir was signed, together with Ibragim's younger 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 learned of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their scouts saw him play and picked him straight away."

Half a dozen years after joining the Manchester United 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 achieved this 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? Without a doubt. They need to let all the young players play right now."

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

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

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

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

'The Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and dedicates 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 prepare for a November UFC championship bout.

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

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

"Today, I'm here in his gym and training with Islam Makhachev."

Recently working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

However that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring 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 dream for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be enormous."