The Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in MMA and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he reflects on how his family's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League star declares.

"My father and I often say, '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 believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles offered better professional prospects for him and his siblings.

The original plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete their education before joining one of the country's colleges.

But, reality now looks slightly different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is regarded as one of the top talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His siblings have taken a different path in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the first team.

"Our key thing for us is to squeeze everything from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I want them to represent all of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a rich tradition in wrestling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, however, as children from the region are often pushed to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to defend yourself, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

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

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

"Many of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really competitive – because of wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers grouped him with boys five years older.

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

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

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

The family'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 consequently.

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

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

Six years after joining 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 achieved this in April 2023.

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

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

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

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

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

'A Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting 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 prepare for a late-year UFC championship bout.

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

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

"Now, I'm here in his gym and training with Islam Makhachev."

Recently training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.

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

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

"An event 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."