The Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I am fond of it here," the PFL athlete declares.

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

The young man departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles offered better 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 complete school before joining one of the nation's universities.

However, life has turned out quite distinct for the Ibragimov family.

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

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

"Our key thing for us is to extract the maximum from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I desire them to play for every one of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it might be a another team."

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight enthusiasts for generating a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long history in grappling, thriving in the sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to take up fighting, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was always instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be strong, first to protect yourself, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

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

"Some of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical base he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and really driven – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, coaches placed him with boys significantly older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than comfortable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, so the story goes," remarks Ibragim.

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Six 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 practice with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

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

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the present squad members."

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

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

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

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

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 best fighter in the world – and we constantly 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 titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.

But that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the hallowed 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 recalls.

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

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a dream for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they would do it. It would be massive."