Those Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his clan's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I adore it here," the PFL star states.

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

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles offered better 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 finish their education before joining one of the country's universities.

However, life now looks somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is seen as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers 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.

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

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical status among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a slew of UFC champions in recent years.

The region has a long tradition in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as youth from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to protect ourselves, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to combat, and which is why people understands 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 helped my younger brothers a lot."

"Many of the footballers he faces lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than comfortable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

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

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

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

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

Six years after joining 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 senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

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

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

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

'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 passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year 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 always used to idolize him when we were young."

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

Recently training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.

But that does not stop him from occasionally 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 always used to play as Man United, scoring with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

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

"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."