The Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his family's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

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

The 21-year-old left his homeland 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 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 universities.

But, life now looks somewhat different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is regarded as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His siblings have taken a different path in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the first team.

"Our key goal for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

From Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among fight enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a rich tradition in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, however, as children from the region are often pushed to take up fighting, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, first to defend yourself, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and which is why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Many of the players he faces don't have the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and really competitive – due to wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly capable holding his own against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he moved across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's records to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should let all the youthful players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I think the young guys are hungrier than the current squad members."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

"Gazik, this youngster is gifted," continues Ibragim.

"He learned everything faster than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities at a local gym.

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

"I would never have imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim admits.

"He was the greatest 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 training with Islam Makhachev."

Recently working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

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

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

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

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