The Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his family's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I love it here," the PFL star declares.

"We always say, 'this was the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles offered better career opportunities for him and his brothers.

The initial 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 colleges.

But, life has turned out quite different for the Ibragimov household.

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

His siblings have chosen a different path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the senior squad.

"The main thing for us is to extract everything from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among fight enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC champions in the past few years.

The region has a long tradition in wrestling, thriving in the sambo style and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as youth from the region are often pushed to begin fighting, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect ourselves, your family, and your companions," states 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 benefited my little brothers a great deal."

"Some of the players he comes up against don't have the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older.

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he moved 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 watched him play and selected him straight away."

Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to allow all the youthful players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the present first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

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

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

'The Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

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

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

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

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

Fresh from training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

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

"I owned 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."

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be huge."