Those Brothers from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his clan's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League star states.

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

The 21-year-old left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised superior professional prospects for him and his siblings.

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

However, reality has turned out somewhat different for the Ibragimov family.

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

His brothers have chosen a separate path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a place in the senior squad.

"Our key thing for us is to squeeze the maximum out of our sports," says 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 could be a another team."

From Grapplers to Football Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight fans for producing a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long history in grappling, excelling in the sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

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

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

"So we all got used to fighting, and which is why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he comes up against don't have the same foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, coaches placed him with boys five years older.

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

"They believed Amir and I were the same age, apparently," says Ibragim.

Amir was signed, along with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved 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 saw him play and selected him straight away."

Half a dozen years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim says.

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

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

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

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

"He learned 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 now relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

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

"I would never have imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim admits.

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

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

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

However that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming of playing for United and walking out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he says.

"Now, 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 discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would do it. It would be enormous."