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

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

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

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

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

The original idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete school before joining one of the country's colleges.

But, reality now looks quite distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA organization.

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

"The main thing for us is to squeeze the maximum from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

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

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

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to begin fighting, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

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

"Some of the footballers he faces don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's stocky, strong 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 significantly older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable 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, along with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred over the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Six years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's history to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Do you know what he said to me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim says.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They need to allow all the youthful players play now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the existing starters. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the current squad members."

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

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

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

'The Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

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

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC championship bout.

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we constantly used to idolize him when we were growing up."

"Now, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

Fresh from training with two UFC titleholders 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 occasionally dreaming of representing United and walking out on the hallowed 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 recalls.

"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 dream for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be enormous."