Those Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his clan's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

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

"My father and I often comment, 'this was the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The young man left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles offered superior career prospects for him and his brothers.

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

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

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the top talents in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a different route in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a spot in the senior squad.

"Our key goal for us is to extract everything from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

From Grapplers to Football Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a long history in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your family, and your companions," states Ibragim.

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

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

"Many of the footballers he faces don't have the same base he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and really driven – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older.

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

Amir was signed, along with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he moved over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Six years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They need to allow all the young players get game time right now."

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

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He learned everything faster 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 Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting his MMA skills 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 November UFC title fight.

"I never have imagined 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."

"Now, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

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

However that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming 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 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 ambition for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they would do it. It would be huge."