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

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his family's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League star declares.

"My father and I always say, 'this is the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The young man left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better professional opportunities for him and his siblings.

The initial plan 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 quite distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is regarded as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a leading MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a separate path in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the senior squad.

"The main thing for us is to extract the maximum out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC champions in the past few years.

The region has a rich history in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"As a young, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect yourself, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to combat, and that's why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Some of the players he faces don't have the same base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really driven – due to wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than comfortable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the same age, so the story goes," remarks Ibragim.

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their scouts watched him play and picked 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 train with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he said to me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should allow all the youthful players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I believe the youngsters are hungrier than the present squad members."

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

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

"He picked up everything faster than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare 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 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 eager to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not stop him from occasionally dreaming of representing United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he says.

"Now, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like a dream come true."

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