Football icon and former Manchester United captain Patrice Evra is trading his soccer cleats for MMA gloves.
Officials from the Professional Fighters League (PFL) have confirmed that the former captain of the French National Team and Manchester United has signed a contract to compete in mixed martial arts. Evra is scheduled to make his amateur debut at the PFL event on May 23, which will take place at Accor Arena in France.
An opponent for Evra`s first fight has not yet been announced.
The 43-year-old achieved significant success during his storied football career, including being named to the PFA Team of the Year on three separate occasions. He was a key player for the world-renowned Manchester United squad for nearly a decade, from 2005 to 2014.
As he prepares for his transition to the PFL`s Smart Cage, Evra has been training alongside French MMA star Cedric Doumbe. He has even publicly suggested a potential opponent.
Taking to Twitter, Evra shared his excitement and a humorous suggestion for an opponent: “BREAKING: I’m officially training for my first fight with PFL Europe,” Evra wrote on Twitter. “They will pick my opponent. They asked who I wanna face. I said Luis Suarez. I’ll pay out of pocket, he can even bite me.”
The upcoming PFL event in France where Evra will debut is scheduled to be headlined by a lightweight bout between Mansour Barnaoui and Archie Colgan. The fight card will also feature former UFC competitor Taylor Lapilus competing against Ali Taleb.
Percy Harlow