The Siblings from Dagestan Making Their Mark in MMA and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I love it here," the PFL star declares.

"We frequently say, 'this is the nation I ought to have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better career prospects for him and his siblings.

The original 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.

But, life now looks slightly different for the Ibragimov family.

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

His brothers have chosen a different route in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the first team.

"The primary thing for us is to squeeze everything out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to represent all of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

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

The region has a long tradition in wrestling, excelling in the sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to take up fighting, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to protect yourself, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my younger brothers a great deal."

"Many of the players he faces don't have the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers grouped 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, so the story goes," remarks Ibragim.

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred 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 scouts watched him play and selected him immediately."

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

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

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

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the current starters. I believe the young guys are more motivated than the current first-team players."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

"Gazik, this youngster is gifted," adds 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."

'A Dream' to Fight 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 spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC title fight.

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

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

"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 eager to win a world title of his own one day.

However that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of representing United and stepping 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 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 dream for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be massive."