Those Brothers from Dagestan Making Their Mark in MMA and at Man Utd.

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

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League star remarks.

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

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

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.

However, life now looks slightly distinct for the Ibragimov household.

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

His brothers have taken a separate route in sport and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a place in the senior squad.

"The main thing for us is to squeeze everything from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I desire them to represent every one of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it could be a different team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a long history in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

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

"As a young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

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

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

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the same base he has. That's why he's solid, strong and really competitive – 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 experience in wrestling.

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

Amir was recruited, 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 became aware of Amir's ability and he moved over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Six years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's history to practice with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

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

"I don't think they would play worse than the current starters. I think the young guys are more motivated than the current first-team players."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once part of the academy of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He learned every skill quicker than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also 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, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a November 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 always used to look up to him when we were growing up."

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

Fresh from training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming 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 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."

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