The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in MMA and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his clan's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

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

"We frequently remark, 'this was the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles offered better professional opportunities for him and his siblings.

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

But, life has turned out quite different for the Ibragimov household.

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

His brothers have taken a separate route in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a place in the senior squad.

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

"I desire them to represent every one of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a different team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among fight fans for generating a number of UFC champions in the past few years.

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

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, first to protect ourselves, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to combat, and which is why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Many of the footballers he faces don't have the same base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, 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 actual age, trainers grouped him with boys significantly older.

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

"They thought Amir and I were the identical 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 brief, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their talent spotters saw him play and picked him straight away."

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

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

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current starters. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the present squad members."

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

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

"He picked up every skill quicker 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 moved to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"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."

Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.

But that does not stop him from sometimes dreaming of representing United and stepping 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 recalls.

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

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