The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in MMA and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he considers how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.

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

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

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a move spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide better professional opportunities for him and his brothers.

The original idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete school before joining one of the country's colleges.

But, life has turned out slightly distinct for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is viewed as one of the top talents in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His siblings have taken a separate path in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the first team.

"The main goal for us is to extract everything from our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to represent all of the best teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it might be a different team."

From Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a long history in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often encouraged to take up fighting, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was always telling 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 became accustomed to fighting, and that's why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; clearly, it benefited my little brothers a lot."

"Many of the players he faces don't have the same base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and really driven – because of wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers grouped him with boys five years older.

He was unfazed by the oversight and was perfectly capable holding his own against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.

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

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

The family's time in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved over the Pennines as a result.

"They faced 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 straight away."

Six years after signing for 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 achieved this in April 2023.

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

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

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the existing first-team players. I believe the young guys are more motivated than the current squad members."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He learned everything quicker than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

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

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a late-year UFC title fight.

"I never have imagined I would be training 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 titleholders from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is eager to win 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 owned a PlayStation at home and I always 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 similar to a fantasy realized."

"An event 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 huge."