The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in MMA and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he considers how his clan's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

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

The young man left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised 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 finish their education before joining one of the nation's colleges.

However, life now looks somewhat different for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts fighter and is viewed as one of the leading prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His siblings have taken a separate route in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the senior squad.

"Our key thing for us is to extract everything from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

"I desire them to play for all of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a different team."

From Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical reputation among fight enthusiasts for generating a number of UFC titleholders in the past few years.

The region has a rich history in grappling, excelling in the combat sambo style and creating numerous Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, however, as children from the region are often encouraged to begin fighting, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, first to protect ourselves, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and that's why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it benefited my little brothers a great deal."

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and really driven – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, coaches placed him with boys significantly older.

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

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

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, though, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines consequently.

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

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

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

"Do you know what he said to me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim says.

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

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I think the young guys are hungrier than the present squad members."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have also transferred to Manchester United.

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

"He learned everything faster than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be similar to a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days perfecting his MMA abilities at a local gym.

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

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

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

"Today, I'm here in his gym and training with Islam Makhachev."

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

But that does not stop him from occasionally fantasizing of representing United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, similar to 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 recalls.

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

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they could do it. It would be enormous."