The Brothers from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he reflects on how his family's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

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

The 21-year-old departed his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised superior career opportunities 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 joining one of the nation's universities.

But, reality has turned out quite 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 prominent MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a different path in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a place in the first team.

"Our key thing for us is to squeeze everything from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The region has a rich history in grappling, thriving in the sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, though, as youth from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to defend ourselves, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to combat, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my little brothers a great deal."

"Some of the footballers he faces don't have the identical base 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. Unaware of his actual age, trainers grouped him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable holding his own 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 signed, along with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their talent spotters saw him play and picked him immediately."

Six years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's history to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Do you know what he said to me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to let all the young players play now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing first-team players. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the present first-team players."

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

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

"He picked up everything faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities at a local gym.

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC title fight.

"I would never have imagined I would be training 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."

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

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

However that does not stop him from sometimes dreaming of playing for United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I owned a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring 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."

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they could do it. It would be huge."