Those Brothers from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he thinks about how his family's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

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

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

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles would provide superior professional opportunities for him and his siblings.

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

However, life now looks somewhat different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His siblings have taken a different route in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the senior squad.

"Our key thing for us is to squeeze the maximum out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I desire them to play for every one of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

From Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical reputation among fight enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC champions in recent years.

The region has a rich tradition in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to fighting, 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; clearly, it benefited my younger brothers a great deal."

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and incredibly driven – 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 placed him with boys significantly older.

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was more than comfortable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines consequently.

"They faced Manchester United in a competition and Amir netted a brilliant free-kick," says 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.

"Do you know what he told me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim says.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should let all the young players get game time now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the current first-team players. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the current squad members."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He picked up everything faster than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland 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 learning under Khabib," Ibragim says.

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

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

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

But that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of representing 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 dream come true."

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