The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in MMA and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his family's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

"My father and I often remark, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles promised superior career 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 country's colleges.

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

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is regarded as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers have taken a different path in athletics and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a spot in the first team.

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

"I hope them to represent every one of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it could be a another team."

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight fans for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The region has a long history in grappling, thriving in the sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, however, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it assisted my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he faces lack the same base he has. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces 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 more than capable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

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

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

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

Six 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 records to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to allow all the young players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I think the young guys are more motivated than the current squad members."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once part of the academy of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

"He picked up 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 Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"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 states he is desperate to win a world title of his own one day.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes fantasizing 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 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 similar to a fantasy realized."

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