Those Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in MMA and at Manchester United.

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

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

"My father and I often comment, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide 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 finish school before enrolling in one of the country's colleges.

But, reality has turned out quite different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is seen as one of the top talents in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a different route in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the senior squad.

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

"I desire them to represent all of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a another team."

Starting as Grapplers to Football Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among fight fans for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a rich tradition in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

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

"When I was young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, and which is why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

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

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the identical base he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, trainers placed 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 background in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the same age, so the story goes," remarks Ibragim.

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he moved across the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their scouts watched him play and selected him immediately."

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's history to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to allow all the youthful players play now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I think the young guys are hungrier than the current first-team players."

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

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

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

'A Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at a local gym.

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout.

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

"He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we always used to idolize him when we were growing up."

"Today, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

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

But that does not stop him from occasionally dreaming 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 constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he says.

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

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they would do it. It would be enormous."