Those Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he reflects on how his clan's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I am fond of it here," the PFL star states.

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

The 21-year-old left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles promised 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 finish school before joining one of the nation's colleges.

However, life now looks slightly distinct for the Ibragimov family.

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

His brothers have chosen a separate path in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to squeeze everything out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical reputation among combat sports fans for generating a host of UFC champions in recent years.

The region has a long history in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, however, as children from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was always telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and that's why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it assisted my little brothers a lot."

"Many of the footballers he faces don't have the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and really driven – due to wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than capable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

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 history to practice with the first team when he did so 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 allow all the youthful players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the current squad members."

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

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

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

'The Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at a local gym.

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

"I would never have imagined I would be learning under Khabib," Ibragim says.

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to idolize him when we were young."

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

Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.

But that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of representing United and walking 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 recalls.

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

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