The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League star declares.

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

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles would provide better professional 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 school before enrolling in one of the nation's universities.

But, reality now looks somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is seen as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers have taken a separate path in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the senior squad.

"Our key thing for us is to extract the maximum from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I desire them to play for every one of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it could be a different team."

From Wrestlers to Football Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a rich tradition in wrestling, thriving in the sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as youth from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to defend ourselves, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, 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 move from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my younger brothers a lot."

"Many of the players he faces don't have the same base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly driven – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real 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 background in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the same age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved across the Pennines as a result.

"They played Manchester United in a tournament and Amir netted a brilliant free-kick," says Ibragim.

"One of their talent spotters saw him play and picked him straight away."

Half a dozen years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was 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 should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the young players play right now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the current first-team players. I believe the youngsters are hungrier than the present squad members."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He picked up everything quicker than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at a local gym.

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

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we constantly used to idolize him when we were young."

"Today, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

Recently training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own one day.

However that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of playing for 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 with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," 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 goal for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they would do it. It would be huge."