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

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

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League star declares.

"We often remark, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised 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 complete their education before enrolling in one of the nation's colleges.

However, reality now looks slightly different for the Ibragimov household.

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

His siblings have chosen a separate path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a spot in the first team.

"The main goal for us is to extract the maximum from our sports," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among fight fans for generating a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

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

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

"When I was young, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to defend yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"So we all got used to fighting, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my younger brothers a great deal."

"Many of the footballers he faces lack the identical base he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and really driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

Amir was recruited, together with Ibragim's younger 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 across the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched 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 history to train with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he said to me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the young players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the current first-team players."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once part of the academy of Manchester City, have likewise made the move 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 similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

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

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

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

However that does not stop him from occasionally fantasizing 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 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 similar to a fantasy realized."

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