Those Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in MMA and with Manchester United.

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

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League star declares.

"My father and I frequently say, 'this is the country 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 covering more than 3,000 miles promised superior career opportunities for him and his siblings.

The original idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete their education before enrolling in one of the country's colleges.

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

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

His brothers have taken a separate path in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the first team.

"Our key goal for us is to extract everything out of our sports," 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 might be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical status among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

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

This achievement is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we had to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to fighting, and which is why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my little brothers a lot."

"Some of the footballers he comes up against lack the identical base he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and really driven – because of wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, trainers placed him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was more than capable holding his own against older players because of his background in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the same 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 brief, though, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he moved across the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Half a dozen years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

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

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I believe the young guys are more motivated than the current squad members."

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

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

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

'The Goal' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping 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 constantly used to look up to him when we were growing up."

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

Recently working with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is eager to claim a world title of his own someday.

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

"I had a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

"Now, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's similar to a dream come true."

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