The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in MMA and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his clan's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

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

"My father and I frequently say, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles would provide better career prospects for him and his siblings.

The initial idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish school before enrolling in one of the country's colleges.

But, life now looks somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov family.

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

His siblings have chosen a different route 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 from our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to play for every one of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical reputation among fight fans for producing a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo style and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"As a young, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your family, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to combat, and that's why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my younger brothers a great deal."

"Many of the footballers he faces lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and really 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, coaches grouped him with boys five years older.

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

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

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their talent spotters saw 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 records to practice with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he told me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

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

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

"He picked up every skill faster than the others. 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 now relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we always used to idolize him when we were young."

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

Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

But that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of playing for United and stepping out on the historic 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.

"Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's similar to a fantasy realized."

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they could do it. It would be enormous."