Those Brothers from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his clan's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

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

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

The 21-year-old departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide superior professional 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 their education before enrolling in one of the country's universities.

But, reality has turned out slightly different for the Ibragimov family.

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

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

"The primary goal for us is to extract everything from our sports," says Ibragim.

"I want them to play for all of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

Starting as Grapplers to Football Prodigies

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

The area has a rich tradition in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

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

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

"So we all got used to fighting, and which is why everyone understands 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 helped my little brothers a lot."

"Many of the players he faces lack the identical base he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, trainers grouped him with boys significantly older.

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

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Six 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 history to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he said to me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim says.

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

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I think the young guys are more motivated than the present 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 every skill quicker than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities at a local gym.

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting 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 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."

Fresh from training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is eager to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the historic 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 legendary players," he says.

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

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they could do it. It would be huge."