Those Brothers from Dagestan Making Their Mark in MMA and with Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his family's life has changed since relocating to England from Dagestan eight years ago.

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

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

The 21-year-old left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide superior career opportunities for him and his brothers.

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

However, reality has turned out slightly distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA fighter and is seen as one of the prime talents in the PFL, a leading MMA organization.

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

"The main thing for us is to extract everything out of our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.

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

Starting as Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

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

The region has a long history in grappling, excelling in the sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.

This success is no accident, however, as youth from the region are often pushed to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.

"When I was young, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we had to be powerful, first to defend yourself, your family, and your companions," says Ibragim.

"So we all got used to combat, 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 transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my younger brothers a lot."

"Some of the players he comes up against lack the identical base he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven – due to 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 significantly older.

He was unfazed by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

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

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

The clan's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's talent and he transferred across the Pennines consequently.

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

"One of their scouts watched him play and picked him immediately."

Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's records to practice with the senior side when he did so in April 2023.

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

"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They need to let all the young players get game time now."

"In my opinion they would play worse than the existing starters. I believe the youngsters are more motivated than the present first-team players."

Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter 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 quicker than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'A Goal' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and dedicates 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 prepare for a November UFC title fight.

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

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

"Today, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

Recently training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is eager to claim a world title of his own one day.

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

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

"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a dream for me. I was speaking to the PFL officials about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be huge."