The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he reflects on how his family's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete states.

"My father and I always remark, 'this was the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles would provide superior career prospects for him and his siblings.

The initial plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish their education before enrolling in one of the nation's colleges.

However, life has turned out quite distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a different path in athletics and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to play for every one of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among combat sports fans for producing a number of UFC champions in recent years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is no accident, though, as children from the region are frequently pushed to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my younger brothers a lot."

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the same base he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven – due to wrestling."

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

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

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved 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 selected him straight away."

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's history to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the young players play now."

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the present first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once part of the academy 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 like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

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

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

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

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

However that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the historic 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 Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he says.

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

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they would do it. It would be massive."