Those Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he thinks about how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor declares.

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

The young man departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles offered superior career opportunities for him and his brothers.

The original plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish school before enrolling in one of the country's colleges.

But, reality has turned out quite distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is regarded as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His brothers have taken a separate route in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the senior squad.

"The main thing for us is to squeeze the maximum out of our sports," says Ibragim.

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

From Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a long tradition in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

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

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, first to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he comes up against lack the identical base he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and really driven – because of wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, trainers placed him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he moved across the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their scouts saw him play and selected him immediately."

Half a dozen years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's history to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should let all the youthful players play 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 on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

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

'A Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC title fight.

"I 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 training with Islam Makhachev."

Recently working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is eager to win a world title of his own one day.

But that does not stop him from occasionally fantasizing of playing for United and stepping out on the hallowed 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 Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he says.

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

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