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

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he reflects on how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

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

"My father and I frequently say, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles offered superior career opportunities for him and his siblings.

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 nation's colleges.

But, reality now looks somewhat different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His brothers have taken a separate route in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the first team.

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

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

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight fans for generating a host of UFC champions in recent years.

The region has a long history in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, however, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to protect yourself, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my younger brothers a great deal."

"Some of the footballers he comes up against lack the identical base he has. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he moved across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's history to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Do you know what he told me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to let all the youthful players get game time right now."

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the current squad members."

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

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

"He picked up every skill faster than the others. 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 moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always 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 champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

However that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of playing for United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he recalls.

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

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be massive."