The Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his family's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I adore it here," the PFL star states.

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

The 21-year-old departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles promised superior professional opportunities for him and his brothers.

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

However, reality has turned out somewhat different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is seen as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His siblings have chosen a separate path in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a place in the first team.

"The main goal for us is to extract everything from our sports," says Ibragim.

"I desire them to represent every one of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it could be a different team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

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

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

This success is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"As a young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, first to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone knows 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 assisted my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he comes up against lack the same foundation he has. That's why he's solid, strong and really competitive – because of 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 significantly older.

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly capable holding his own against older players because of his background in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned 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," recalls Ibragim.

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

Six years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's records to train with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should allow all the youthful players play now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the current first-team players. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the current squad members."

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

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

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

'A Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC title fight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they could do it. It would be huge."