The Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he considers how his clan's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

"We often comment, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised 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 enrolling in one of the nation's universities.

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

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is viewed as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a different path in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the first team.

"The primary goal for us is to extract everything out of our sports," says Ibragim.

"I want them to play for every one of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical reputation among combat sports fans for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long tradition in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is no accident, though, as children from the region are often encouraged to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

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

"So we all got used to combat, and which is why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my younger brothers a great deal."

"Some of the footballers he faces don't have the same base he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and really competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than capable competing against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, apparently," says Ibragim.

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred over 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 straight away."

Half a dozen years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Do you know what he told me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

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

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the present squad members."

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

"Gazik, this kid is gifted," continues Ibragim.

"He learned every skill faster than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days honing his MMA skills at a local gym.

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready 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 young."

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

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

However that does not stop him from sometimes dreaming of representing 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 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."

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