The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in MMA and at Manchester United.
Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he reflects on how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.
"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete remarks.
"My father and I always remark, 'this is the nation I ought to have been born in.'"
The young man left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better career 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 their education before joining one of the nation's colleges.
However, life has turned out quite different for the Ibragimov household.
Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts athlete and is viewed as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.
His siblings have taken a different route in athletics and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the first team.
"Our key thing for us is to extract everything from our sports," explains Ibragim.
"I want them to play for all of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it might be a another team."
From Grapplers to Football Prodigies
Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight fans for producing a number of UFC champions in the past few years.
The region has a long history in grappling, excelling in the sambo style and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.
This success is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are frequently pushed to take up combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.
"As a a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to protect yourself, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.
"So we all got used to fighting, and that's why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."
"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my younger brothers a lot."
"Some of the players he faces lack the identical foundation he has. That's why he's solid, strong and really driven – 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 not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly capable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.
"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.
Amir was recruited, together with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.
The clan's stay 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 consequently.
"They played Manchester United in a tournament and Amir netted a spectacular free-kick," recalls Ibragim.
"One of their talent spotters saw him play and selected him immediately."
Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.
"Know what he said to me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim says.
"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should let all the young players play right now."
"I don't think they would play worse than the current starters. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the present squad members."
Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.
"Gazik, this youngster is talented," continues Ibragim.
"He picked up everything faster than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."
'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford
Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA skills at a local gym.
In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC championship bout.
"I would never have thought I would be learning under Khabib," Ibragim admits.
"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to idolize him when we were young."
"Now, I'm here in his gym and training with Islam Makhachev."
Recently working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.
However that does not stop him from sometimes dreaming of playing for United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.
"I owned a PlayStation at home and I constantly 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 similar to a dream come true."
"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be huge."