The Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he considers how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I love it here," the PFL competitor declares.

"We frequently remark, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better professional opportunities for him and his brothers.

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

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

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts fighter and is seen as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a separate route in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a spot in the senior squad.

"Our key goal for us is to extract everything from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to play for all of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it could be a different team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a rich history in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often pushed to take up fighting, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and which is why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

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

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's solid, strong and really competitive – because of wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, trainers grouped him with boys five years older.

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than capable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the identical age, so the story goes," remarks Ibragim.

Amir was recruited, along with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred across 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 Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's history to practice with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Do you know what he said to me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should allow all the youthful players get game time right now."

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I think the young guys are hungrier than the present squad members."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.

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

"He picked up every skill quicker than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"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."

Recently working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he recalls.

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

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would do it. It would be huge."