Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his family's life has evolved since relocating to England from Dagestan in 2017.
"I am fond of it here," the PFL competitor remarks.
"My father and I frequently comment, 'this was the nation I should have been born in.'"
The young man departed his home in the Caucasus region of Russia because his father was convinced a relocation spanning more than 3,000 miles would provide superior career opportunities for him and his brothers.
The initial plan was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to complete their education before enrolling in one of the nation's colleges.
However, reality has turned out quite distinct for the Ibragimov household.
Ibragim is now a professional MMA athlete and is viewed as one of the top prospects in the PFL, a major MMA organization.
His brothers have chosen a separate route in sport and have all been signed by Manchester United – with Amir aiming for a position in the senior squad.
"The main thing for us is to squeeze everything from our chosen fields," explains Ibragim.
"I hope them to represent all of the top teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it might be a another team."
Starting as Grapplers to Football Prodigies
Located in the south of Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among combat sports enthusiasts for generating a host of UFC champions in the past few years.
The area has a long tradition in grappling, thriving in the sambo style and creating a host of Olympic and world winners.
This success is no accident, however, as youth from the region are frequently pushed to begin fighting, particularly wrestling, practically as soon as they can stand.
"As a young, my dad was constantly instructing me and my younger brothers that we needed to be powerful, firstly to protect yourself, your relatives, and your friends," says Ibragim.
"Therefore we all became accustomed to combat, and that's why people knows how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."
"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can observe the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it benefited my younger brothers a great deal."
"Many of the players he comes up against lack the same base he possesses. That's why he's stocky, powerful and really competitive – due to wrestling."
Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his actual age, trainers placed him with boys five years older.
He was unfazed by the mistake and was more than comfortable competing against older players thanks to his experience in wrestling.
"They believed Amir and I were the same age, so the story goes," remarks Ibragim.
Amir was recruited, along with Ibragim's younger brothers Gazik and Muhammad.
The family's time in South Yorkshire was short-lived, however, as only weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United learned of Amir's ability and he transferred across the Pennines as a result.
"They played Manchester United in a tournament and Amir scored a brilliant free-kick," recalls Ibragim.
"One of their talent spotters saw him play and selected him straight away."
Half a dozen years after signing for the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the youngest players in the club's history to train with the first team when he achieved this in April 2023.
"Do you know what he said to me? 'Here is where I should be'," Ibragim says.
"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They should let all the youthful players play now."
"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the existing starters. I think the youngsters are more motivated than the current squad members."
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," adds Ibragim.
"He picked up everything quicker than everyone else. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United."
'A Dream' to Compete at the Theatre of Dreams
Ibragim has also moved to Manchester and dedicates most of his days sharpening his MMA skills at a local gym.
In August, he passed three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, helping Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC title fight.
"I would never have thought I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim says.
"He was the best fighter in the world – and we always used to look up to him when we were growing up."
"Now, I'm here in his gym and training with Islam Makhachev."
Fresh from training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is desperate to win a world title of his own someday.
But that does not stop him from occasionally fantasizing of representing United and stepping out on the hallowed turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.
"I had a PlayStation at home and I constantly used to play as Man United, scoring goals with legendary players," 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 ambition for me. I was speaking to the PFL guys about it to see if they could do it. It would be massive."
