The Siblings from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his family's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

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

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles offered superior career prospects for him and his brothers.

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

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

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is seen as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His brothers have chosen a separate route in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the senior squad.

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

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

From Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among combat sports fans for generating a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

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

"As a young, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, first to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, and that's why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Many of the players he faces lack the same foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than comfortable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Six years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's records to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Do you know what he said to me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should allow all the young players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the present squad members."

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

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

"He learned everything 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 dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at a local gym.

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

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

"He was the best 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 desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

However that does not stop him from occasionally dreaming 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 with legendary players," 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 ambition for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they would do it. It would be massive."