The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in MMA and at Man Utd.

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

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

"We often say, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised superior career 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 their education before joining one of the nation's universities.

However, reality has turned out quite distinct for the Ibragimov household.

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

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

"The main thing for us is to extract everything from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I hope them to play for all of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it could be a different team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a rich tradition in wrestling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, however, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be powerful, first to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my younger brothers a great deal."

"Some of the footballers he faces lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and really competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

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

Amir was signed, together with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

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

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

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

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

"He learned everything quicker than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year 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 always used to look up to 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 no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

However that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of playing for United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

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

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

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