The Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and with Manchester United.

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

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor declares.

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

The young man left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide superior career opportunities for him and his brothers.

The original idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish their education before enrolling in one of the nation's universities.

However, reality has turned out quite different for the Ibragimov household.

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

His brothers have chosen a different route in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the senior squad.

"Our key thing for us is to extract everything from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I want them to play for all of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among fight fans for generating a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

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

This success is no accident, however, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"As a a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to combat, 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; obviously, it helped my little brothers a great deal."

"Some of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical base he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

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

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and picked 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 history to practice with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should allow all the young players play right now."

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

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

"Gazik, this kid is talented," continues Ibragim.

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

'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days honing his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC title fight.

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

"He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we constantly 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 unsurprising Ibragim says he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.

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

"I owned 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.

"Today, 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 discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be massive."