The Brothers from Dagestan Excelling in MMA and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he reflects on how his family's life has transformed since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.

"I love it here," the Professional Fighters League star declares.

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

The 21-year-old departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better professional prospects for him and his brothers.

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

But, life has turned out slightly distinct for the Ibragimov household.

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

His brothers have chosen a different path in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir vying for a place in the first team.

"Our key thing for us is to extract the maximum out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I hope them to play for every one of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a another team."

Starting as Wrestlers to Soccer Talents

Situated in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mythical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a slew of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a rich tradition in grappling, excelling in the combat sambo discipline and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.

This success is not a coincidence, however, as children from the region are often encouraged to take up combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was always telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to defend yourself, your family, and your friends," says Ibragim.

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

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

"Many of the footballers he faces lack the identical foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older.

He was not intimidated by the mistake 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, apparently," says Ibragim.

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

The family'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 transferred across the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Half a dozen years after joining 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 first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Do you know what he told me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim says.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They should let all the youthful players play now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing first-team players. I think the young guys are hungrier than the current first-team players."

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

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

"He picked up everything faster than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Compete at Old Trafford

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

In August, he passed three weeks in his homeland at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout.

"I never have thought I would be learning under Khabib," Ibragim admits.

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

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

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

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

"I owned 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 like a dream come true."

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