The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he considers how his clan's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

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

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

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better professional prospects for him and his brothers.

The initial plan 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, life now looks somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is seen as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His brothers have taken a different route in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the first team.

"Our key thing for us is to extract everything from our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to play for every one of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it might be a different team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC champions in the past few years.

The region has a rich tradition in grappling, excelling in the sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

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

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

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

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it helped my younger brothers a great deal."

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

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

He was unfazed by the mistake and was more than capable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the identical age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

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

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

"They played Manchester United in a competition and Amir netted a brilliant free-kick," recalls 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 most youthful players in the club's history to train with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'This 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 get game time now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the current starters. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the current squad members."

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

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

"He learned every skill quicker than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC championship bout.

"I would 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."

Recently working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.

However that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of playing for United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I always 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 dream for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be huge."