Those Siblings from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his family's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I adore it here," the PFL athlete declares.

"My father and I frequently say, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles promised superior professional prospects for him and his siblings.

The original idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish school before joining one of the nation's colleges.

However, life has turned out somewhat different for the Ibragimov household.

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

His siblings have chosen a different route in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the first team.

"The primary goal for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I desire them to represent all of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."

From Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical reputation among fight fans for generating a number of UFC champions in the past few years.

The region has a rich history in wrestling, thriving in the sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, though, as children from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my younger brothers a great deal."

"Some of the footballers he faces lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the oversight and was perfectly capable competing against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, so the story goes," says Ibragim.

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Six years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's history to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the young players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the present first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

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

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

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

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

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

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

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

Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.

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

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

"Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's similar to a fantasy realized."

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be massive."