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

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he considers how his clan's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I am fond of it here," the PFL competitor states.

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

The 21-year-old departed his home in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father was convinced a relocation 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 their education before joining one of the nation's colleges.

However, life has turned out quite different for the Ibragimov family.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is regarded as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a leading MMA league.

His brothers have taken a separate route in athletics and have each been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the senior squad.

"The primary thing for us is to squeeze everything out of our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Football Talents

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among combat sports fans for generating a slew of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The area has a long tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.

This achievement is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often pushed to take up fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to protect yourself, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

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

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

"Many of the players he comes up against don't have the identical base he possesses. That's why he's solid, strong and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, trainers placed him with boys five years older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players because of his experience in wrestling.

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

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

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

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

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

Half a dozen years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's history to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Can he 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 worse than the existing first-team players. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the present first-team players."

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

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

"He learned every skill quicker than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days honing his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev prepare for a November UFC championship bout.

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

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

"Today, 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 eager to claim a world title of his own someday.

However that does not prevent him from sometimes dreaming 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 always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," he recalls.

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

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