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

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his family's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete declares.

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

The 21-year-old left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles offered better career opportunities for him and his siblings.

The original idea 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 universities.

However, life now looks quite different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His siblings have chosen a separate route in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary thing for us is to extract everything from our sports," says Ibragim.

"I want them to represent all of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it might be a another team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

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

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

"When I was a kid, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

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

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

"Some of the footballers he faces lack the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

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

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

"They thought Amir and I were the same age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved across the Pennines as a result.

"They faced Manchester United in a competition and Amir netted a brilliant free-kick," says Ibragim.

"One of their scouts saw him play and picked him immediately."

Six years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should let all the young players play right now."

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the existing first-team players. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the present squad members."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

"He picked up every skill faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

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

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

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

"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 training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

However that does not stop him from occasionally fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the historic 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 like a fantasy realized."

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