The Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his family's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

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

"We frequently comment, 'this was the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man left his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles offered superior professional 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 their education before joining one of the country's colleges.

But, life now looks somewhat different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is regarded as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a different route in athletics and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the first team.

"Our key thing for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among combat sports fans for producing a number of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The area has a long tradition in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, though, as children from the region are often encouraged to begin fighting, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, first to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," 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 benefited my younger brothers a great deal."

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

Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers placed him with boys five years older.

He was unfazed by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

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 train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

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

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I think the youngsters are more motivated than the current first-team players."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.

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

"He learned everything quicker than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout.

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

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

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

Recently working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.

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

"Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like a dream come true."

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