Those Brothers from Dagestan Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his family's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I love it here," the PFL competitor states.

"We always remark, 'this is the country I ought to have been born in.'"

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised superior career opportunities for him and his siblings.

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

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

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is regarded as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His brothers have chosen a separate path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary thing for us is to squeeze everything out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among fight fans for producing a slew of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a long tradition in wrestling, excelling in the sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, though, as children from the region are often encouraged to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

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

"So we all got used to fighting, and which is why everyone understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my little brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he comes up against lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, trainers grouped him with boys significantly older.

He was unfazed by the mistake and was more than capable holding his own against older players because of his background in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the identical age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

Amir was recruited, along with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Half a dozen 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 train with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he told me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should allow all the young players get game time now."

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

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

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

"He picked up every skill quicker than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year UFC championship bout.

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

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

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

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

But that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the hallowed 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.

"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 ambition for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they could do it. It would be enormous."