Those Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in MMA and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he considers how his clan's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor declares.

"We always comment, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles offered superior professional prospects 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 enrolling in one of the country's universities.

But, life now looks quite distinct for the Ibragimov family.

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

His siblings have taken a separate route in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the first team.

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

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical status among fight enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long history in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as youth from the region are often encouraged to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

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

"So we all got used to combat, and which is why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my little brothers a lot."

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and really driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the identical age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

Amir was signed, along with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected him straight away."

Six years after joining the Old Trafford 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 did so in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the young players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I think the youngsters are more motivated than the current first-team players."

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

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

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

'The Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

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

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

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

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

Fresh from 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.

But that does not stop him from occasionally dreaming of representing United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

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

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

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