Those Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

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

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

"My father and I always remark, 'this was the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles offered better professional opportunities for him and his siblings.

The original 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.

However, reality now looks quite distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is seen as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

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

"The primary thing for us is to extract the maximum from our sports," says Ibragim.

"I desire them to play for all of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a another team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated 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 rich tradition in wrestling, thriving in the sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to protect ourselves, your family, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"So we all got used to fighting, and that's why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my little brothers a lot."

"Many of the footballers he faces don't have the same foundation he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven – due to wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was more than comfortable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

Amir was signed, along with Ibragim's little 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 ability and he moved over the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their scouts saw him play and selected him immediately."

Six years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should allow all the young players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I believe the young guys are more motivated than the present squad members."

Since then, 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 picked up everything faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and spends most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities 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 late-year UFC championship bout.

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to look up to him when we were young."

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

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

But that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of playing for United and walking out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he says.

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

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they would do it. It would be enormous."