The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he considers how his clan's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

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

"We frequently say, 'this is the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide superior career opportunities for him and his brothers.

The original idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete their education before joining one of the nation's colleges.

However, reality has turned out slightly different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is seen as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His siblings have taken a different path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the senior squad.

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

"I want them to represent all of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it could be a different team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among fight fans for generating a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a rich history in grappling, thriving in the sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, though, as children from the region are frequently pushed to begin fighting, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to protect yourself, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why people knows 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; clearly, it helped my younger brothers a great deal."

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the same foundation he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and really driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly capable 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 recruited, together with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved across the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected him straight away."

Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was 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 reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should allow all the young players get game time now."

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the existing first-team players. I believe 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 made the move to Manchester United.

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

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

'The Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting his MMA skills at a local gym.

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 learning under Khabib," Ibragim admits.

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

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

Recently working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate 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 hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I had 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 similar to a dream come true."

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