The Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his family's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

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

"My father and I always remark, 'this was the nation I should have been born in.'"

The young man left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles offered better 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 school before joining one of the nation's universities.

But, reality now looks somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is viewed as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His brothers have taken a different route in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the first team.

"The primary thing for us is to extract everything from our sports," says Ibragim.

"I desire them to represent every one of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it could be a another team."

Starting as Grapplers to Football Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical status among fight fans for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a rich history in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo style and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to take up combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was always telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to combat, and that's why people 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; obviously, it benefited my little brothers a lot."

"Many of the players he faces lack the same foundation he has. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly 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 placed him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly capable 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, together with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, 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 brilliant free-kick," says Ibragim.

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

Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's history to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he told me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should allow all the young players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current starters. I think the young guys 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 youngster is talented," continues Ibragim.

"He learned everything quicker than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"He was the greatest 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 no surprise Ibragim states he is eager to claim a world title of his own someday.

However that does not prevent him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for United and walking out on the historic 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 like a dream come true."

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