Those Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in MMA and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his family's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

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

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles would provide superior career prospects for him and his brothers.

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

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

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is regarded as one of the prime 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 pushing for a place in the senior squad.

"Our key thing for us is to extract the maximum from our sports," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Prodigies

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among combat sports enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The region has a rich tradition in grappling, excelling in the sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are frequently pushed to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

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

"Some of the players he faces lack the same foundation he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

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

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

"They believed Amir and I were the same age, so the story goes," says Ibragim.

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

The clan's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he transferred across the Pennines consequently.

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

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

Half a dozen years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he said to me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim reveals.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to let all the youthful players get game time now."

"I don't think they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I think the youngsters are more motivated than the current first-team players."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

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

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

'A Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

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

"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 look up to him when we were growing up."

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

Recently training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.

However that does not stop him from sometimes dreaming of playing for United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring with legendary players," he says.

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

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