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

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his family's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I adore it here," the PFL star declares.

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

The 21-year-old left his home in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles promised superior 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 school before joining one of the country's colleges.

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

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

His siblings have chosen a different path in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the senior squad.

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

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

From Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among fight enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a rich tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, however, as children from the region are often pushed to take up fighting, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to protect ourselves, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, and that's why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Some of the players he comes up against lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really competitive – due to wrestling."

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

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly capable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, apparently," says Ibragim.

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Six years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's records to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he told me? 'Here 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 play now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing first-team players. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the present first-team players."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.

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

"He picked up everything faster than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

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

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

"I never have imagined I would be learning under Khabib," Ibragim admits.

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

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

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

However that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming of representing United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I owned 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 similar to a fantasy realized."

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