The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he considers how his family's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor remarks.

"We often comment, 'this is 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 relocation covering more than 3,000 miles offered superior professional prospects for him and his siblings.

The initial idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete school before enrolling in one of the nation's universities.

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

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts athlete and is viewed as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

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

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

"I want them to play for all of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it might be a another team."

From Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for generating a slew of UFC champions in recent years.

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

This achievement is no accident, however, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, first to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my younger brothers a great deal."

"Some of the footballers he faces don't have the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and really competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the mistake and was more than comfortable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the same age, so the story goes," says Ibragim.

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

"They played Manchester United in a competition and Amir netted a brilliant free-kick," says Ibragim.

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

Half a dozen years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's records to practice with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'Here is where I should be'," 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 existing starters. I think the young guys are hungrier than the present first-team players."

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

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

"He picked up every skill faster than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

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

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

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

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

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

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

But that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of representing 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 dream for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be enormous."