Those Brothers from Dagestan Making Their Mark in MMA and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he thinks about how his family's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor states.

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

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

The original idea 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 somewhat different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the top talents in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a different route in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the senior squad.

"The main goal for us is to extract the maximum from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

From Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical reputation among fight fans for producing a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The region has a rich tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, though, as youth from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"As a a kid, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to combat, and which is 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 benefited my younger brothers a great deal."

"Some of the footballers he faces don't have the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong 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, coaches placed him with boys significantly older.

He was unfazed by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, so the story goes," says 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 became aware of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and picked 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 achieved this in April 2023.

"Do you know what he said to me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim says.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should allow all the youthful players get game time right now."

"I don't think they would play worse than the current starters. I think the youngsters are more motivated than the current first-team players."

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

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

"He learned every skill faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern 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 a local gym.

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC title fight.

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

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

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

Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is eager to win a world title of his own one day.

But that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I owned 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 similar to a fantasy realized."

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