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

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he considers how his clan's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

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

"We often remark, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better professional opportunities for him and his siblings.

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

But, reality now looks somewhat 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 major MMA league.

His siblings have taken a different path in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a place in the first team.

"The primary goal for us is to squeeze everything out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among combat sports fans for generating a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are frequently encouraged to begin 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 powerful, first to protect ourselves, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Some of the players he faces don't have the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than comfortable 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 little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after joining 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 spectacular free-kick," says Ibragim.

"One of their scouts watched him play and picked 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 history to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They need to allow all the young players get game time now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the current first-team players. I think the young guys are hungrier than the current squad members."

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 gifted," continues Ibragim.

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

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA skills 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 late-year 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 always used to look up to him when we were growing up."

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

Recently working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.

However that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming of representing United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like 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 similar to a dream come true."

"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 huge."