The Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and with Manchester United.

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

"I am fond of it here," the PFL athlete states.

"My father and I always remark, 'this is the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles offered superior career 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 country's colleges.

But, reality now looks quite different 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 siblings have chosen a separate path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a place in the senior squad.

"Our key thing for us is to squeeze everything from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I desire them to play for every one of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

From Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

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

The area has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, however, as children from the region are frequently pushed to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my little 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 – due to wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly capable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

Amir was recruited, along with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he moved across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Six years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's history to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to allow all the youthful players get game time now."

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the existing first-team players. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the present first-team players."

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

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

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

'The Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities 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 late-year UFC championship bout.

"I would 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 titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

However that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of playing for United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring 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 goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would do it. It would be massive."