The Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

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

"We always say, 'this was the country I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles offered superior professional opportunities 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 nation's universities.

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

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the top talents in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a separate route in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the first team.

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

"I hope them to represent every one 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 Football Prodigies

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among combat sports fans for producing a number of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a long tradition in wrestling, excelling in the sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.

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 walk.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to defend yourself, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to combat, and which is why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my younger brothers a great deal."

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the same base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly capable holding his own against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's history to practice with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

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

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing first-team players. I think the young guys are hungrier than the present first-team players."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.

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

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

'The Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at a local gym.

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

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

"He was the best 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 training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

However that does not stop him from occasionally fantasizing of playing for United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

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

"Now, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like 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 huge."