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

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

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

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

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

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

However, reality now looks somewhat distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league.

His brothers have chosen a different route in sport and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a place in the senior squad.

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

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The area has a long tradition in wrestling, thriving in the sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as youth 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 protect yourself, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

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

"Some of the footballers he faces lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and really competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, coaches placed him with boys significantly older.

He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than comfortable competing against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

Amir was recruited, along 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 transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

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

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 practice with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Do you 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? Absolutely. They should let 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 youngsters 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 kid is gifted," continues Ibragim.

"He picked up 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 Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

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

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

"He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we always used to look up to him when we were growing up."

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

Recently working with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim states he is desperate to win a world title of his own one day.

However that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to his brothers.

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

"Now, 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 could do it. It would be enormous."