The Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his clan's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor remarks.

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

The young man departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles would provide superior professional prospects for him and his siblings.

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

But, reality has turned out somewhat different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is seen as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a separate route in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the senior squad.

"The main goal for us is to extract everything from our sports," says Ibragim.

"I want them to represent every one of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight fans for generating a slew of UFC titleholders in recent 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, though, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"As a young, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to protect yourself, your family, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"So we all got used to fighting, and which is why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my little brothers a lot."

"Many of the footballers he faces lack the same foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and really competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, coaches grouped him with boys significantly older.

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

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

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines as a result.

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

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

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

"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 should allow all the young players play right now."

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

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

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

"He learned every skill faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Dream' 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 native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC title fight.

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to look up to 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 no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to win a world title of his own one day.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming 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 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 fantasy realized."

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