The Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and at Manchester United.

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

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

"My father and I often comment, 'this was the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles offered superior career prospects for him and his brothers.

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

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

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is regarded as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His siblings have taken a separate route in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the senior squad.

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

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

From Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among combat sports fans for generating a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long history in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo style and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, however, as youth from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to protect ourselves, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it benefited my little brothers a lot."

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

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

He was unfazed by the mistake and was more than capable holding his own against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

Amir was recruited, together with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected him immediately."

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's records to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he told me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should allow all the young players play now."

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

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He learned every skill faster than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and spends most of his days sharpening his MMA skills 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 title fight.

"I never have imagined 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 young."

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

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

But that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming of representing United and walking out on the historic 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 legendary players," he says.

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

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a dream for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be enormous."