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

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

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

"We always remark, '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 believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide 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 complete school before joining one of the country's universities.

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

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

His siblings have taken a separate route in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a place in the first team.

"The main goal for us is to extract the maximum out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I want them to play for all of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a different team."

From Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a long history in wrestling, excelling in the sambo style and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are frequently pushed to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed 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; clearly, it assisted my younger brothers a great deal."

"Some of the players he faces lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly driven – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, coaches grouped him with boys five years older.

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

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and picked him immediately."

Six years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's history to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the youthful players play now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I believe the young guys are more motivated than the present first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He picked up every skill faster than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"He was the greatest 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 training with Islam Makhachev."

Fresh from working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

But that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of playing for United and walking out on the hallowed 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 says.

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

"A fight 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 enormous."