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

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

"I love it here," the PFL star states.

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

The young man left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles offered superior career prospects for him and his brothers.

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 country's colleges.

But, reality now looks somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov household.

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

His siblings have chosen a different route in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a place in the first team.

"Our key goal for us is to extract the maximum out of our sports," says Ibragim.

"I want them to play for every one of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for generating a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a long tradition in wrestling, thriving in the sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

This success is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was always telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my little brothers a great deal."

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was more than comfortable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

Amir was recruited, together with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

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

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected 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 did so in April 2023.

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

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

"In my opinion they would play worse than the current first-team players. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the present first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He picked up everything 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 Compete at Old Trafford

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout.

"I never have thought 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."

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

Recently training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

However that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for United and walking out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to 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 recalls.

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

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