Those Brothers from Dagestan Excelling 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 eight years ago.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete states.

"We often say, 'this is the nation I ought to have been born in.'"

The young man left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles promised superior career opportunities for him and his brothers.

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

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

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts fighter and is seen as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league.

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

"Our key goal for us is to extract everything from our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to represent all of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

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

The region has a rich history in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, however, as youth from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be strong, first to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"So we all got used to fighting, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

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

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, coaches placed him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly capable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines consequently.

"They played Manchester United in a competition and Amir netted a brilliant free-kick," recalls Ibragim.

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

Half a dozen years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's history to practice with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

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

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

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He learned everything quicker than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

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

"I would never have thought I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim admits.

"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 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 prevent him from occasionally dreaming of playing for United and stepping out on the historic 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 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 enormous."