Those Brothers from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in MMA and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his family's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I am fond of it here," the PFL competitor declares.

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

The 21-year-old departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better professional prospects for him and his siblings.

The original 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 colleges.

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

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

His brothers have chosen a different path in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the first team.

"Our key goal for us is to squeeze the maximum out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

From Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a slew of UFC champions in the past few years.

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

This achievement is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to protect yourself, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, and that's why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my younger brothers a lot."

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers placed him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than capable 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, along with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected him immediately."

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should 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 present first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once part of the academy of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He learned everything quicker than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC title fight.

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

"He was the greatest 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 training with Islam Makhachev."

Recently working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is eager to claim a world title of his own one day.

However that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing 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 with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

"Now, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's similar to 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 would do it. It would be massive."