Those Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he reflects on how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League star declares.

"We always remark, 'this was the nation I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles promised superior career prospects for him and his siblings.

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

However, reality now looks quite different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a different path in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to extract the maximum from our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I want them to represent all of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a different team."

From Wrestlers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among combat sports fans for generating a slew of UFC titleholders in recent years.

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

This success is not a coincidence, though, as youth from the region are often pushed to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my younger 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, powerful and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, coaches placed him with boys significantly older.

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the identical age, so the story goes," 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 only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their scouts watched him play and selected him straight away."

Six years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's records to practice with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

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

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I think the youngsters are more motivated than the current first-team players."

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

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

"He learned every skill quicker than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

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

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

Recently training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

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

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

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

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