The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in Mixed Martial Arts and with Man Utd.
Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his clan's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.
"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League star states.
"We always comment, 'this was the nation I should have been born in.'"
The young man departed his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a move spanning more than 3,000 miles offered better professional opportunities for him and his brothers.
The original idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers ā Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) ā to finish their education before enrolling in one of the country's colleges.
But, life now looks slightly distinct for the Ibragimov household.
Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts athlete and is regarded as one of the prime prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.
His siblings have chosen a separate path in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United ā 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 play for all of the finest teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it might be a another team."
From Wrestlers to Soccer Prodigies
Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight fans for producing a host of UFC champions in recent years.
The region has a rich history in wrestling, excelling in the combat sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world champions.
This success is no accident, though, as children from the region are often encouraged to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can walk.
"When I was young, my dad was always instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, first to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," says Ibragim.
"Therefore we all became accustomed to combat, and that's why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's unsurprising."
"Amir was a highly skilled wrestler. You can observe the transition from wrestling to football; clearly, it assisted my little brothers a great deal."
"Some of the players he comes up against don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly driven ā due to wrestling."
Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, coaches placed him with boys five years older.
He was not intimidated by the mistake and was more than capable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.
"They believed Amir and I were the same age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.
Amir was signed, together with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.
The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he moved over the Pennines as a result.
"They faced Manchester United in a tournament and Amir scored a spectacular free-kick," recalls Ibragim.
"One of their talent spotters saw him play and selected him straight away."
Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford 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 did so in April 2023.
"Do you know what he told me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim says.
"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They should allow all the youthful players get game time now."
"I don't think they would play worse than the current 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 made the move to Manchester United.
"Gazik, this youngster is gifted," continues Ibragim.
"He learned everything quicker than everyone else. He's a solid defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."
'The Dream' to Fight at Old Trafford
Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at Manchester Top Team.
In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a late-year UFC championship bout.
"I would never have imagined I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim admits.
"He was the best fighter in the world ā and we always used to idolize him when we were young."
"Now, I'm here in his gym and training with Islam Makhachev."
Recently training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.
But that does not prevent him from occasionally fantasizing of representing United and walking 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 Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he says.
"Today, 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 discussing with the PFL guys about it to see if they could do it. It would be massive."
