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

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his family's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

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

"We always remark, 'this was the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles promised superior career opportunities for him and his siblings.

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

However, reality now looks quite distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the top talents in the PFL, a leading MMA organization.

His siblings have chosen a different route in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the first team.

"The primary thing for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

From Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC champions in recent years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

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

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

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

"Many of the players he faces don't have the same foundation he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than capable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected 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 records to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

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

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I think the young guys are more motivated than the current squad members."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.

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

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

'The Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days honing his MMA abilities at a local gym.

In August, he spent 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 says.

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to idolize him when we were growing up."

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

Recently working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and walking 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 goals with legendary players," he recalls.

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

"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 enormous."