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

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he thinks about how his family's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I love it here," the PFL competitor states.

"We always remark, 'this was the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide superior career opportunities for him and his brothers.

The original plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete school before enrolling in one of the nation's colleges.

However, life has turned out quite different for the Ibragimov family.

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

His brothers have taken a different path in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the first team.

"The main goal for us is to squeeze everything from our sports," says Ibragim.

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

From Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a rich history in wrestling, thriving in the sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, though, as children from the region are frequently pushed to take up combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be strong, first to defend ourselves, your family, and your friends," states 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 observe the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my younger brothers a great deal."

"Some of the players he comes up against don't have the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and picked him immediately."

Six years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Do you know what he said to me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should let all the youthful players get game time right now."

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

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

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

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

'A Goal' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now 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, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year UFC championship bout.

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

"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 training with Islam Makhachev."

Recently training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is eager to claim a world title of his own one day.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes 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 constantly 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 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 do it. It would be huge."