The Brothers from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd.

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

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

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

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles offered better career prospects for him and his siblings.

The initial plan 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, life now looks quite different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is seen as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

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

"The main goal for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among fight fans for producing a number of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a rich history in wrestling, excelling in the sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often encouraged to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

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

"Therefore we all got used to combat, and that's why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it benefited my little brothers a great deal."

"Many of the players he faces don't have the same base he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and really driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly capable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

Amir was recruited, together with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

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

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

"One of their scouts saw him play and picked him immediately."

Half a dozen years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful 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 reveals.

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

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I believe the youngsters are hungrier than the present first-team players."

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

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

"He picked up every skill quicker than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC title fight.

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

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

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

Fresh from working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.

However that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming of playing for United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he says.

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

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