The Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

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

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

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

The young man left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better professional opportunities for him and his siblings.

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

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

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts fighter and is seen as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His siblings have taken a different route in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the senior squad.

"Our key thing for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC champions in recent years.

The region has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are often pushed to begin fighting, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"As a a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, and which is why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

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

"Many of the footballers he comes up against lack the identical foundation he has. That's why he's solid, strong and really competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, trainers grouped him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than capable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the same age, so the story goes," remarks 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 tournament and Amir scored a brilliant free-kick," says Ibragim.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"He learned everything quicker than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA skills at a local gym.

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC title fight.

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we constantly used to idolize him when we were growing up."

"Today, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

Recently training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of playing for United and walking 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 Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

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

"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."