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

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his family's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

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

"We often remark, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation covering more than 3,000 miles offered better career prospects for him and his brothers.

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 nation's universities.

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

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is seen as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.

His brothers have taken a different path in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I want them to represent all of the finest teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among fight fans for producing a number of UFC champions in the past few years.

The region has a rich history in grappling, thriving in the sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

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

"As a young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, first to protect ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.

"So we all became accustomed to combat, and which is why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it assisted my younger brothers a great deal."

"Many of the footballers he comes up against don't have the same foundation he has. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only 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 oversight and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent 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 selected him immediately."

Half a dozen years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to allow all the youthful players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I think 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 also made the move to Manchester United.

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

"He learned everything faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

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, assisting Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC championship bout.

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

"He was the best 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."

Recently training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is eager to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not stop him from occasionally 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 always 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 fantasy realized."

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a dream for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be massive."