Those Brothers from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he considers how his family's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

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

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

The initial 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 colleges.

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

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

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

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

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

From Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for generating a number of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, thriving in the sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, though, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, first to defend ourselves, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my younger brothers a lot."

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and really driven – due to wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than comfortable holding his own against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, so the story goes," says Ibragim.

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he moved across the Pennines as a result.

"They faced Manchester United in a competition and Amir scored a brilliant free-kick," recalls Ibragim.

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

Six years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's records to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"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 first-team players. I believe the youngsters are hungrier than the current squad members."

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

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

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

'The Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"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."

Fresh from training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.

However 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 had a PlayStation at home and I constantly 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 fantasy realized."

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