The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I am fond of it here," the PFL competitor remarks.

"We frequently say, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles would provide superior professional prospects for him and his brothers.

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

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

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts athlete and is viewed as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a different route in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a spot in the first team.

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

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among fight enthusiasts for generating a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

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

This achievement is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often pushed to take up fighting, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, first to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it benefited my little brothers a great deal."

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the identical base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly capable competing 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 signed, along with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as just 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 tournament and Amir scored a brilliant free-kick," says Ibragim.

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

Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United 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.

"Do you know what he told me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They need to let all the youthful players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the current first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have also 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 good defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA skills at a local gym.

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC championship bout.

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

"He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we constantly used to idolize him when we were young."

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

Fresh from working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own one day.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming of representing United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring with legendary players," 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 dream for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be huge."