The Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and at Manchester United.

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

"I am fond of it here," the PFL competitor remarks.

"My father and I always say, 'this is the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles offered better career prospects for him and his siblings.

The original plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete their education before joining one of the nation's universities.

But, reality has turned out slightly different for the Ibragimov family.

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

His siblings have taken a different route in athletics and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the first team.

"The main goal for us is to squeeze everything out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among combat sports fans for generating a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

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

This success is no accident, though, as children from the region are often pushed to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

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

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and which is why people 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 assisted my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the footballers he faces don't have 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. Not knowing of his actual age, coaches placed him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than comfortable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Half a dozen 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 history to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

"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? 100%. They need to let all the young players get game time now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I think the youngsters 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," continues Ibragim.

"He learned every skill quicker than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC title fight.

"I would never have imagined 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."

"Today, I'm here in his gym and training with Islam Makhachev."

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

However that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had 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."

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