The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his clan's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor remarks.

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

The 21-year-old departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles promised superior professional opportunities for him and his siblings.

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 country's universities.

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

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers have taken a different route in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the first team.

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

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

From Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among fight enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, however, as children from the region are often encouraged to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my little brothers a lot."

"Some of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and incredibly competitive – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly capable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

"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 straight away."

Half a dozen years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's history to practice with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"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."

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

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

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

"He picked up every skill faster than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and spends most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC title fight.

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

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

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

Fresh from working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not stop him from occasionally dreaming of playing for United and stepping out on the historic 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 recalls.

"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 speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be massive."