Those Brothers from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he thinks about how his family's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I adore it here," the PFL athlete remarks.

"We often remark, 'this is the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better professional opportunities for him and his siblings.

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

But, life has turned out somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is viewed as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His siblings have chosen a different path in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the senior squad.

"The main thing for us is to squeeze the maximum from our sports," says Ibragim.

"I want them to represent all of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

Starting as Grapplers to Football Prodigies

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight fans for producing a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a rich history in grappling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This success is no accident, though, as children from the region are often pushed to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it assisted my younger brothers a great deal."

"Many of the footballers he comes up against don't have the same base he has. That's why he's stocky, powerful and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers grouped him with boys five years older.

He was unfazed by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines consequently.

"They played Manchester United in a tournament and Amir netted a spectacular free-kick," says Ibragim.

"One of their scouts watched him play and selected him straight away."

Six years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the senior side when he achieved this 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? Without a doubt. They should allow all the young players get game time now."

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I think the young guys are hungrier than the current squad members."

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

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

"He learned every skill faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a November 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 look up to him when we were growing up."

"Today, I'm here in his gym and training with Islam Makhachev."

Recently training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

However that does not stop him from sometimes dreaming of playing for United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I constantly 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 fantasy realized."

"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 make it happen. It would be massive."