The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

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

"I adore it here," the PFL competitor remarks.

"My father and I frequently say, 'this was the country I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide superior career prospects for him and his siblings.

The initial plan 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 has turned out quite distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is seen as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His brothers have taken a separate route in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the first team.

"The primary thing for us is to extract everything from our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I desire them to represent all of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical reputation among combat sports fans for generating a slew of UFC champions in the past few years.

The region has a rich tradition in grappling, thriving in the sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, however, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect ourselves, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and which is why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my little brothers a great deal."

"Some of the players he comes up against lack the identical base he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was just 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 mistake and was perfectly capable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware 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 watched him play and picked him straight away."

Six years after joining 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 senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to let all the youthful players get game time right now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the existing starters. I think the young guys are more motivated than the current squad members."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.

"Gazik, this youngster 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 Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

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, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC title fight.

"I would never have thought I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim says.

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to idolize him when we were growing up."

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

Fresh from working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is eager to win a world title of his own one day.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he says.

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

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be enormous."