The Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his family's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League star states.

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

The young man departed his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better career opportunities for him and his brothers.

The initial idea 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 colleges.

But, reality now looks quite different for the Ibragimov household.

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

His siblings have taken a separate route in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to extract the maximum out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical reputation among fight enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC champions in recent years.

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

This success is no accident, however, as youth from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," states Ibragim.

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

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

"Some of the footballers he faces don't have the identical foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, strong 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 actual age, coaches grouped him with boys significantly older.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Six 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 history to practice with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to allow all the youthful players play now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the current starters. I believe the youngsters are hungrier than the current squad members."

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

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

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

'The Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

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 imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim says.

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

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

Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.

However that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of representing United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had 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.

"Now, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like a dream come true."

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