Those Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he reflects on how his clan's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I love it here," the PFL athlete remarks.

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

The young man left 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 brothers.

The original 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 colleges.

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

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

His brothers have taken a separate route in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the senior squad.

"Our key goal for us is to squeeze everything from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Prodigies

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a long history in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, however, as children from the region are frequently pushed to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

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

"Therefore we all became accustomed to combat, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my little brothers a lot."

"Many of the players he faces lack the same base he has. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly capable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he transferred over the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Six years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

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

"I don't think they would play worse than the existing starters. I think the young guys are more motivated than the present first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.

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

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

'The Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

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

"He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we constantly used to idolize 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 no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming of representing United and walking out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring with legendary players," he says.

"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 discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be huge."