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

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor states.

"We frequently remark, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The young man left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised superior professional prospects for him and his brothers.

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

However, reality has turned out quite distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is regarded as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His brothers have taken a different path in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a place in the senior squad.

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

"I want them to represent all of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a different team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among fight fans for generating a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a long history in wrestling, thriving in the sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"As a young, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to defend ourselves, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

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

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

"Some of the footballers he faces don't have the identical base he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, coaches placed him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the same age, apparently," says Ibragim.

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

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

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

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

Six years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's history to train with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They need to let all the youthful players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the current 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," continues Ibragim.

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

'A Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC title fight.

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

"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 titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

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

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," 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 ambition for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would do it. It would be enormous."