The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

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

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

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

The young man left his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father believed a move 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 finish their education before enrolling in one of the nation's universities.

But, reality now looks slightly distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is viewed as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a separate path in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the senior squad.

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

"I desire them to represent every one of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among fight enthusiasts for generating a slew of UFC champions in recent years.

The region has a long tradition in wrestling, excelling in the sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

This success is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are often pushed to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

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

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it assisted my younger brothers a great deal."

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

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, coaches placed him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly capable holding his own against older players thanks to 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 little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

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

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

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

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I believe the young guys are hungrier 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 youngster is gifted," continues Ibragim.

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

'A Goal' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like a fantasy realized."

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be huge."