Those Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in MMA and with Manchester United.

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

"I am fond of it here," the PFL athlete remarks.

"We often remark, 'this was the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a move spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better career opportunities for him and his brothers.

The original plan 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 universities.

However, reality now looks somewhat different for the Ibragimov family.

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

His brothers have taken a different path in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the senior squad.

"Our key thing for us is to extract the maximum from our sports," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for generating a number of UFC champions in recent years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, thriving in the sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, however, as youth from the region are often encouraged to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and which is why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Many of the footballers he faces don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

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

Amir was recruited, along with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and picked him straight away."

Half a dozen years after joining the Manchester United 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 achieved this in April 2023.

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

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

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current starters. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the present first-team players."

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

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

"He picked up everything quicker than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

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

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

"I never have thought I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim says.

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

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

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

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

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always 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 fantasy realized."

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