The Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his family's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

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

"My father and I often remark, '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 was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles would provide better career opportunities for him and his brothers.

The original plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish school before joining one of the nation's colleges.

But, reality now looks somewhat different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts fighter and is seen as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a different path in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the first team.

"The primary thing for us is to squeeze the maximum out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I hope them to play for all of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it might be a another team."

From Grapplers to Football Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among fight fans for producing a slew of UFC champions in recent years.

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

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, first to defend yourself, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my little brothers a great deal."

"Many of the footballers he faces lack the identical base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than comfortable competing against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the identical age, so the story goes," remarks Ibragim.

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only 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 competition and Amir netted a spectacular free-kick," recalls 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 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.

"Know what he told me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to let all the youthful players play now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing first-team players. I think the young guys are hungrier than the current first-team players."

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

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

"He picked up everything faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities at a local gym.

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC championship bout.

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

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

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

Recently 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 sometimes dreaming 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 Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," 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 ambition for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be massive."