Those Brothers from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd.

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

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete declares.

"We frequently comment, 'this is the country I should 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 offered better professional 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 their education before enrolling in one of the nation's colleges.

But, reality now looks somewhat different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is seen as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

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

"The main goal for us is to squeeze the maximum from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

"I desire them to play for every one of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a different team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among combat sports fans for generating a slew of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The area has a long history in wrestling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

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

"When I was 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 friends," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to combat, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my little brothers a great deal."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Six years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's history to train with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should allow all the youthful players play now."

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

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.

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

"He learned every skill quicker than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

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

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

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

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

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

But that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and walking 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 goals with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

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

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be huge."