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

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

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

"My father and I always say, 'this was the country I should have been born in.'"

The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles promised better career opportunities for him and his siblings.

The initial plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete their education before joining one of the nation's universities.

But, reality now looks quite different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

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

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

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among fight enthusiasts for producing a number of UFC champions in recent years.

The area has a long tradition in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is no accident, though, as children from the region are frequently pushed to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my little brothers a great deal."

"Some of the footballers he comes up against don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

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

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was more than capable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the same age, so the story goes," remarks Ibragim.

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their scouts saw him play and selected him immediately."

Half a dozen years after signing for 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 senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

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

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

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

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

"He learned every skill quicker than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

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

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

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

"He was the best fighter in the world – and we constantly used to idolize him when we were young."

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

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

But 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 had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he says.

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

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