The Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd.

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

"I love it here," the PFL competitor declares.

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

The young man departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles offered better career prospects for him and his brothers.

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 nation's universities.

However, life has turned out slightly different for the Ibragimov household.

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

His siblings have taken a separate path in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary thing for us is to squeeze everything out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to play for 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 Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among combat sports fans for generating a number of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The area has a rich tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, though, as youth from the region are often encouraged to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"As a young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, first to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, and which is why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he comes up against don't have the identical foundation he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and really driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly capable holding his own against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the same age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Six years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to practice 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? Absolutely. They need to allow all the young players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I believe the youngsters are hungrier than the present first-team players."

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

"Gazik, this kid is talented," adds Ibragim.

"He picked up every skill faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at a local gym.

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

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we constantly used to look up to him when we were young."

"Now, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

Recently training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is eager to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not stop him from occasionally dreaming of playing for United and walking 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 with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he says.

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

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they could do it. It would be massive."