Those Brothers from the Dagestani Region Excelling in Mixed Martial Arts and with Manchester United.

Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he considers how his family's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete remarks.

"We often comment, 'this was the nation I ought to have been born in.'"

The young man departed his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles promised better career opportunities for him and his siblings.

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

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

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His siblings have chosen a separate route in athletics and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the senior squad.

"The primary thing for us is to squeeze the maximum from our chosen fields," says Ibragim.

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

Starting as Wrestlers to Football Talents

Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight fans for generating a slew of UFC champions in recent years.

The area has a rich history in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world winners.

This achievement is not a coincidence, though, as children from the region are frequently pushed to begin combat sports, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, and which is why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a excellent wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my little brothers a lot."

"Many of the players he comes up against lack the same foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really 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 mistake and was perfectly capable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred over the Pennines as a result.

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

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

Half a dozen years after joining the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the most youthful players in the club's records to practice with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should let all the young players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the current first-team players. I think the young guys are hungrier than the current squad members."

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

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

"He learned every skill quicker 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 native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC championship bout.

"I never have thought I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim says.

"He was the greatest 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 says he is eager to claim a world title of his own someday.

But that does not stop him from sometimes fantasizing of playing for United and stepping out on the historic 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 legendary players," he says.

"Now, 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 guys about it to see if they would do it. It would be enormous."