Those Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I adore it here," the PFL competitor declares.

"We frequently comment, 'this was the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles would provide better professional opportunities for him and his brothers.

The original idea 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 colleges.

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

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

His siblings have taken a separate path in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a place in the senior squad.

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

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical status among fight fans for generating a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are often encouraged to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my little brothers a lot."

"Some of the footballers he comes up against lack the identical base he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and really competitive – due to wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was more than comfortable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the same age, so the story goes," says Ibragim.

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved over the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their scouts saw him play and picked him straight away."

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

"Do you 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 allow all the young players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I think the youngsters are more motivated than the current first-team players."

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 talented," adds Ibragim.

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

'The Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at a local gym.

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC title fight.

"I never have thought 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 young."

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

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

But that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the hallowed 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 says.

"Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's similar to a dream come true."

"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."