Those Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in MMA and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete declares.

"We frequently say, 'this was the nation I ought to have been born in.'"

The young man left his home 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 idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish school before enrolling in one of the nation's universities.

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

Ibragim is now a professional MMA fighter and is viewed as one of the top talents in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His brothers have taken a separate path in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the first team.

"The main thing for us is to extract the maximum out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a number of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The area has a rich history in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is no accident, though, as youth from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and that's why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

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

"Many of the footballers he faces lack the identical base he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and really competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, coaches grouped him with boys significantly older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than capable holding his own against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's history to practice with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to let all the youthful players get game time now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I think the young guys are more motivated than the current 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," adds Ibragim.

"He learned everything quicker than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days honing his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"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."

Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is eager to claim a world title of his own one day.

However that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for United and walking 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 legendary players," he recalls.

"Now, 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 guys about it to see if they could do it. It would be massive."