Ibragim Ibragimov breaks into a smile as he thinks about how his clan's life has changed since moving to England from Dagestan in 2017.
"I adore it here," the Professional Fighters League competitor states.
"My father and I frequently comment, 'this was the nation I ought to have been born in.'"
The 21-year-old left his homeland in the North Caucasus of Russia as his father believed a move spanning more than 3,000 miles offered better professional opportunities for him and his siblings.
The original plan 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 colleges.
But, reality 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 leading prospects in the PFL, a leading MMA league.
His siblings have taken a separate route in athletics and have each been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the senior squad.
"The main thing for us is to extract the maximum from our sports," explains Ibragim.
"I hope them to play for every one of the top teams in the world. Today it is Man United, tomorrow it could be a another team."
From Wrestlers to Football Prodigies
Located in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mystical reputation among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years.
The region has a long tradition in wrestling, excelling in the sambo style and producing numerous Olympic and world champions.
This success is no accident, however, as children from the region are often encouraged to take up fighting, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can walk.
"When I was young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to defend ourselves, your relatives, and your companions," states Ibragim.
"Therefore we all got used to fighting, and which is why everyone 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 assisted my little brothers a lot."
"Some of the footballers he faces don't have the identical foundation he has. That's why he's stocky, strong and incredibly driven – because of wrestling."
Amir was only nine years old when he was being tested at Sheffield United. Unaware of his actual age, coaches grouped him with boys significantly older.
He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than capable competing against older players thanks to his background in wrestling.
"They thought Amir and I were the same age, apparently," says Ibragim.
Amir was recruited, along with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad.
The family's time 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 across the Pennines as a result.
"They faced Manchester United in a competition and Amir scored a brilliant free-kick," says Ibragim.
"One of their talent spotters watched him play and selected him straight away."
Half a dozen years after signing for the Manchester United club and at the age of 15, Amir was one of the youngest players in the club's records to train with the first team when he did so in April 2023.
"Do you know what he told me? 'This is where I belong'," Ibragim says.
"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Without a doubt. They need to let all the youthful players play now."
"I don't think they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the current first-team players."
Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.
"Gazik, this youngster is talented," continues Ibragim.
"He learned everything quicker than the others. He's a solid defender. He's going to be similar to a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."
'The Goal' to Compete at Old Trafford
Ibragim has now relocated to Manchester and dedicates most of his days honing his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.
In August, he passed 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 learning under Khabib," Ibragim says.
"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 training with Islam Makhachev."
Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is no surprise Ibragim says he is desperate to claim a world title of his own one day.
But that does not prevent him from occasionally dreaming of playing for United and stepping out on the hallowed 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 legendary players," he recalls.
"Now, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's similar to a dream come true."
"A fight at Old Trafford? It's a dream for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they would make it happen. It would be huge."
