Those Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he considers how his family's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I adore it here," the PFL competitor declares.

"We always comment, 'this is the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles promised superior professional opportunities for him and his siblings.

The original idea 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 universities.

However, reality now looks slightly different for the Ibragimov family.

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

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

"The primary goal for us is to extract the maximum from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I hope them to represent all of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it could be a another team."

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The area has a rich tradition in wrestling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

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

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

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the identical foundation he has. 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 real age, trainers placed him with boys five years older.

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

"They believed Amir and I were the same age, so the story goes," remarks Ibragim.

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their talent spotters saw 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 records to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should let all the young players play now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the current starters. I think the young guys are hungrier than the present first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

"He learned every skill quicker than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting 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 always used to idolize him when we were young."

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

Fresh from training with two UFC champions 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 sometimes dreaming of playing for United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

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

"Now, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's similar to a fantasy realized."

"A fight 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 massive."