Those Brothers from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his clan's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I am fond of it here," the PFL star declares.

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

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

The initial plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish their education before joining one of the country's universities.

But, reality now looks quite different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a separate route in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the first team.

"The main goal for us is to squeeze the maximum from our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to represent all of the finest teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a different team."

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among combat sports fans for producing a host of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the combat sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

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

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

"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it assisted my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the footballers he comes up against lack the same foundation he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than comfortable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the identical age, so the story goes," remarks Ibragim.

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Half a dozen 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 history to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should allow all the youthful players play right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the current squad members."

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

"Gazik, this kid is gifted," adds Ibragim.

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

'A Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping 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 young."

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

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

However that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of playing for 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 dream come true."

"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."