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

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he thinks about how his clan's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I love it here," the PFL athlete declares.

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

The young man left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better career opportunities for him and his brothers.

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

However, reality now looks quite different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is regarded as one of the top talents in the PFL, a leading MMA organization.

His siblings have chosen a different path in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to squeeze the maximum from our sports," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a long tradition in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect yourself, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all became accustomed to combat, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

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

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the identical base he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

Amir was only 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 not intimidated by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable holding his own against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

"They thought Amir and I were the identical age, so the story goes," says Ibragim.

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

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved across the Pennines as a result.

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

"One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected him immediately."

Six years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should let all the young players play right now."

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

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once part of the academy of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.

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

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

'A Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now 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 homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC title fight.

"I would never have imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim admits.

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

"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 states he is desperate to win a world title of his own one day.

However that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of playing for United and walking out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I constantly 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."

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a ambition for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be enormous."