🔗 Share this article The Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd. Ibragim Ibragimov began his pro MMA career in the year 2021. Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago. "I am fond of it here," the PFL competitor states. "We always comment, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'" The 21-year-old left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised superior career prospects 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 enrolling in one of the country's colleges. However, reality has turned out quite distinct for the Ibragimov family. Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league. His brothers have taken a separate route in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the senior squad. "The main thing for us is to squeeze the maximum out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim. "I desire them to represent all of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it might be a another team." Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Talents Three of Ibragim's siblings, including Amir (left), have been joined Manchester United. Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among fight fans for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years. The area has a long history in wrestling, thriving in the sambo style and creating numerous Olympic and world champions. This success is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk. "When I was young, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to protect ourselves, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim. "Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise." "Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my younger brothers a great deal." "Some of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical base he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly driven – due to wrestling." Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, trainers placed him with boys five years older. He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than comfortable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling. "They thought Amir and I were the same age, apparently," says Ibragim. Amir was signed, along with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad. The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines as a result. "They faced Manchester United in a competition and Amir scored a spectacular free-kick," says Ibragim. "One of their talent spotters saw him play and selected him immediately." Six years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023. "Know what he said to me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals. "Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should let all the youthful players get game time now." "In my opinion they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the current first-team players." Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United. "Gazik, this youngster is talented," continues Ibragim. "He learned every skill quicker than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United." 'A Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford Ibragimov has been working out with the Nurmagomedovs – Usman (centre) and Khabib (right) in Dagestan. Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA abilities at a local gym. In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout. "I would never have imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim says. "He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we constantly used to look up to him when we were growing up." "Now, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev." Recently working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is eager 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 hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers. "I had a PlayStation at home and I always 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 goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would do it. It would be massive."
Ibragim Ibragimov began his pro MMA career in the year 2021. Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago. "I am fond of it here," the PFL competitor states. "We always comment, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'" The 21-year-old left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised superior career prospects 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 enrolling in one of the country's colleges. However, reality has turned out quite distinct for the Ibragimov family. Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league. His brothers have taken a separate route in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the senior squad. "The main thing for us is to squeeze the maximum out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim. "I desire them to represent all of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it might be a another team." Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Talents Three of Ibragim's siblings, including Amir (left), have been joined Manchester United. Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among fight fans for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years. The area has a long history in wrestling, thriving in the sambo style and creating numerous Olympic and world champions. This success is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk. "When I was young, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to protect ourselves, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim. "Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise." "Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my younger brothers a great deal." "Some of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical base he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly driven – due to wrestling." Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, trainers placed him with boys five years older. He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than comfortable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling. "They thought Amir and I were the same age, apparently," says Ibragim. Amir was signed, along with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad. The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines as a result. "They faced Manchester United in a competition and Amir scored a spectacular free-kick," says Ibragim. "One of their talent spotters saw him play and selected him immediately." Six years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023. "Know what he said to me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals. "Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should let all the youthful players get game time now." "In my opinion they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the current first-team players." Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United. "Gazik, this youngster is talented," continues Ibragim. "He learned every skill quicker than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United." 'A Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford Ibragimov has been working out with the Nurmagomedovs – Usman (centre) and Khabib (right) in Dagestan. Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA abilities at a local gym. In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout. "I would never have imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim says. "He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we constantly used to look up to him when we were growing up." "Now, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev." Recently working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is eager 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 hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers. "I had a PlayStation at home and I always 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 goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would do it. It would be massive."