Those Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

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

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

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

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

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

But, life now looks somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts athlete and is viewed as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA organization.

His brothers have taken a separate route in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the senior squad.

"Our key goal for us is to extract everything out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I want them to represent every one of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a long tradition in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

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

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be powerful, first to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to combat, 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; obviously, it helped my younger brothers a lot."

"Many of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines as a result.

"They played Manchester United in a competition and Amir scored a spectacular free-kick," recalls Ibragim.

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

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 history to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They need to let all the young players get game time now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I think the youngsters are more motivated than the present first-team players."

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

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

"He learned everything faster than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening 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 late-year UFC title fight.

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

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

"Now, 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 claim a world title of his own one day.

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

"I owned 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 goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be enormous."