Those Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

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

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

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

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles would provide better professional prospects for him and his brothers.

The initial plan 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, life now looks somewhat different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the top talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His brothers have taken a separate path in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the first team.

"The primary goal for us is to extract the maximum out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to represent every one of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it could be a another team."

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight fans for generating a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a rich history in wrestling, thriving in the sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

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

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

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

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it benefited my little brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he faces lack the identical base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful 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 unfazed by the mistake and was more than comfortable holding his own against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he moved across the Pennines consequently.

"They played Manchester United in a tournament and Amir scored a spectacular 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 was 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 said to me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

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

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the current 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 talented," adds Ibragim.

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

'The Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at a local gym.

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC championship bout.

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

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

"Today, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

Recently training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of representing United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring 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."

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a dream for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be enormous."