The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and at Manchester United.

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

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

"My father and I always remark, 'this is the nation I ought to have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles promised better professional opportunities for him and his siblings.

The initial plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish their education before enrolling in one of the nation's universities.

But, reality now looks slightly distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro mixed martial arts athlete and is viewed as one of the leading talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA organization.

His siblings have chosen a separate path in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a spot in the first team.

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

"I want them to play for every one of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a different team."

From Grapplers to Football Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mythical status among fight enthusiasts for producing a host of UFC champions in the past few years.

The area has a rich tradition in grappling, thriving in the combat sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.

This success is not a coincidence, though, as youth from the region are often encouraged to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"As a young, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to defend yourself, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."

"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 players he faces don't have the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's stocky, strong and really competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, coaches grouped him with boys significantly older.

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

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

Amir was signed, along with Ibragim's little 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 moved over 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 Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's history to train with the senior side when he achieved this in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the youthful players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I believe the young guys are more motivated than the present 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 youngster is gifted," continues Ibragim.

"He picked up everything faster than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Goal' to Fight at Old Trafford

Ibragim has now moved 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 thought I would be learning under Khabib," Ibragim says.

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

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

Recently training with two UFC titleholders from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim states he is desperate to claim a world title of his own someday.

However that does not stop him from occasionally dreaming of playing for United and walking out on the historic 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 Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he recalls.

"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 speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they could make it happen. It would be huge."