Those Siblings from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and at Manchester United.
Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he considers how his family's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.
"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor remarks.
"We frequently comment, 'this was the country I ought to have been born in.'"
The 21-year-old left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles offered better career opportunities for him and his brothers.
The initial plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish their education before enrolling in one of the country's colleges.
But, life now looks quite different for the Ibragimov family.
Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is viewed as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a major MMA league.
His siblings have chosen a different path in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the first team.
"Our key thing for us is to squeeze the maximum out of our sports," says Ibragim.
"I desire them to represent every one of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."
From Grapplers to Football Prodigies
Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical status among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC champions in the past few years.
The area has a rich history in wrestling, excelling in the sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.
This achievement is no accident, however, as youth from the region are often pushed to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.
"As a young, my dad was always instructing me and my younger brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to protect yourself, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.
"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."
"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it benefited my little brothers a great deal."
"Many of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."
Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, trainers grouped him with boys significantly older.
He was unfazed by the oversight 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 signed, along with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.
The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved across the Pennines as a result.
"They faced Manchester United in a tournament and Amir netted a brilliant free-kick," says Ibragim.
"One of their talent spotters watched 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 first team when he did so in April 2023.
"Know what he told me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.
"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should let all the youthful players get game time right now."
"I don't think they would play worse than the current starters. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the present squad members."
Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.
"Gazik, this youngster is gifted," continues Ibragim.
"He learned everything faster than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."
'A Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams
Ibragim has also relocated 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 prepare for a late-year UFC title fight.
"I never have imagined I would be learning under Khabib," Ibragim admits.
"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to idolize him when we were growing up."
"Now, I'm here in his gym and training with Islam Makhachev."
Recently training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.
However that does not prevent him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.
"I owned a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring with legendary players," he says.
"Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's similar to a dream come true."
"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be enormous."