Those Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

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

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

"We often remark, 'this was the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a move spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better career prospects for him and his siblings.

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

However, reality now looks slightly different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is viewed as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a separate route in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place 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 finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it might be a different team."

From Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among fight fans for generating a number of UFC titleholders 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 winners.

This success is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to protect yourself, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

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

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

"Many of the players he faces don't have the identical foundation he has. That's why he's solid, powerful 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 grouped him with boys five years older.

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

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Six 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 records to train with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

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

"In my opinion they would play worse than the current starters. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the current squad members."

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

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

"He picked up everything quicker than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to 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 perfecting his MMA abilities at a local gym.

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC championship bout.

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

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

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

Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for 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 legendary players," 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 discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be huge."