The Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his clan's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete remarks.

"My father and I always comment, 'this was the nation I ought to have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles offered superior professional prospects for him and his brothers.

The initial idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish their education before joining one of the country's universities.

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

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is regarded as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

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

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

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among combat sports fans for producing a host of UFC champions in recent years.

The area has a rich tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

This success is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect yourself, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and which is why people knows 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; obviously, it benefited my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the footballers he comes up against lack the same base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly capable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's history to practice with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should let all the youthful players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the current first-team players. I think the young guys are more motivated than the present first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.

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

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

'A Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year UFC title fight.

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

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

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

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

However that does not prevent him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he says.

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

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