The Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

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

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles would provide better professional prospects 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 joining one of the country's universities.

However, life has turned out somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts fighter and is viewed as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His brothers have taken a separate path in athletics and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a position in the first team.

"Our key goal for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for generating a slew of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a rich tradition in wrestling, excelling in the sambo style and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as youth from the region are often encouraged to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your family, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

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

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

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

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players because of his experience 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, though, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred 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 scouts watched him play and selected him immediately."

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 train with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

"Can he 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 more motivated than the present squad members."

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

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

"He picked up every skill quicker than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford

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

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year UFC title fight.

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

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

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

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

But that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of representing United and walking out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he recalls.

"Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like a dream come true."

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be huge."