Ibragim Ibragimov grins as he thinks about how his family's life has transformed since moving to England from Dagestan eight years ago.
"I am fond of it here," the Professional Fighters League athlete remarks.
"My father and I frequently say, 'this was the country I ought to have been born in.'"
The young man left his homeland in the Caucasus region of Russia as his father believed a move covering more than 3,000 miles would provide better professional opportunities for him and his brothers.
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 country's universities.
But, life has turned out quite distinct for the Ibragimov household.
Ibragim is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and is seen as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA league.
His siblings have chosen a different route in athletics and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the first team.
"Our key goal for us is to squeeze everything from our sports," explains Ibragim.
"I hope them to represent all of the finest teams in the world. Today it is Man United, in the future it might be a different team."
Starting as Wrestlers to Football Prodigies
Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical reputation among fight enthusiasts for producing a slew of UFC titleholders in the past few years.
The area has a long history in wrestling, thriving in the sambo discipline and creating numerous Olympic and world winners.
This achievement is no accident, however, as youth from the region are frequently encouraged to take up fighting, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.
"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly telling me and my younger brothers that we needed to be strong, first to protect yourself, your family, and your companions," states Ibragim.
"Therefore 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 very good wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my younger brothers a lot."
"Some of the players he faces don't have the identical base he has. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really driven – because of wrestling."
Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his real age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older.
He was unfazed by the oversight and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.
"They believed Amir and I were the same age, apparently," says Ibragim.
Amir was recruited, along with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.
The family's stay in South Yorkshire was short-lived, though, as only weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's talent and he moved over the Pennines consequently.
"They played Manchester United in a competition and Amir scored a spectacular free-kick," says Ibragim.
"One of their talent spotters watched him play and picked him immediately."
Half a dozen years after joining 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 first team when he achieved this in April 2023.
"Know what he said to me? 'This is where I should be'," Ibragim says.
"Is he able to be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the youthful players play right now."
"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I believe the young guys are hungrier than the current first-team players."
Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.
"Gazik, this youngster is talented," adds Ibragim.
"He learned every skill quicker than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."
'The Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford
Ibragim has also relocated to Manchester and spends most of his days honing his MMA skills at a local gym.
In August, he spent three weeks in his homeland 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 learning under Khabib," Ibragim admits.
"He was the greatest 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 working 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 prevent him from sometimes dreaming of playing for United and walking out on the historic 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 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."
"An event at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they could do it. It would be enormous."
