🔗 Share this article The Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd. Ibragim Ibragimov embarked on his pro MMA career in 2021. Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he considers how his clan's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017. "I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League star declares. "We always comment, 'this was the nation I ought to have been born in.'" The 21-year-old departed his home in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles would provide superior professional 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 their education before enrolling in one of the country's universities. However, life now looks slightly different for the Ibragimov family. Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is seen as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA league. His siblings have chosen a different path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the senior squad. "The primary thing for us is to squeeze everything from our sports," explains Ibragim. "I hope them to represent all of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a different team." Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents Three of Ibragim's siblings, featuring Amir (left), have been signed by Manchester United. Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among fight enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years. The region has a rich history in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world winners. This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk. "As a a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim. "Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise." "Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my little brothers a lot." "Some of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly driven – because of wrestling." Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older. He was not intimidated by the oversight and was more than capable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling. "They thought Amir and I were the same age, apparently," says Ibragim. Amir was recruited, together with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad. The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines consequently. "They played Manchester United in a competition and Amir netted a brilliant free-kick," recalls Ibragim. "One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected him straight away." Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United 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 did so 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? Absolutely. They should let all the young players get game time right now." "I don't think they would play less effectively than the current starters. I believe the young guys are more motivated than the current squad members." Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United. "Gazik, this youngster is gifted," continues Ibragim. "He picked up every skill faster than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United." 'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford Ibragimov has been training with the Nurmagomedovs – Usman (centre) and Khabib (right) in Dagestan. Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days honing his MMA skills at a local gym. In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC title fight. "I never have imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim says. "He was the best fighter in the world – and we constantly used to look up to him when we were growing up." "Today, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev." Fresh from working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday. However that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers. "I owned a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls. "Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like a dream come true." "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 do it. It would be enormous."
Ibragim Ibragimov embarked on his pro MMA career in 2021. Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he considers how his clan's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017. "I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League star declares. "We always comment, 'this was the nation I ought to have been born in.'" The 21-year-old departed his home in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles would provide superior professional 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 their education before enrolling in one of the country's universities. However, life now looks slightly different for the Ibragimov family. Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is seen as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA league. His siblings have chosen a different path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the senior squad. "The primary thing for us is to squeeze everything from our sports," explains Ibragim. "I hope them to represent all of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a different team." Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents Three of Ibragim's siblings, featuring Amir (left), have been signed by Manchester United. Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among fight enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years. The region has a rich history in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world winners. This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk. "As a a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim. "Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise." "Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my little brothers a lot." "Some of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly driven – because of wrestling." Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older. He was not intimidated by the oversight and was more than capable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling. "They thought Amir and I were the same age, apparently," says Ibragim. Amir was recruited, together with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad. The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines consequently. "They played Manchester United in a competition and Amir netted a brilliant free-kick," recalls Ibragim. "One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected him straight away." Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United 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 did so 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? Absolutely. They should let all the young players get game time right now." "I don't think they would play less effectively than the current starters. I believe the young guys are more motivated than the current squad members." Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United. "Gazik, this youngster is gifted," continues Ibragim. "He picked up every skill faster than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United." 'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford Ibragimov has been training with the Nurmagomedovs – Usman (centre) and Khabib (right) in Dagestan. Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days honing his MMA skills at a local gym. In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC title fight. "I never have imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim says. "He was the best fighter in the world – and we constantly used to look up to him when we were growing up." "Today, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev." Fresh from working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday. However that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers. "I owned a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls. "Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like a dream come true." "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 do it. It would be enormous."