Former Manchester United captain Patrice Evra is officially transitioning from the soccer field to the mixed martial arts cage.
Officials confirmed that the former captain of the French National Soccer Team and Manchester United has signed an agreement with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) to compete in mixed martial arts. Evra is scheduled to make his amateur fighting debut on May 23rd at the Accor Arena in France.
An opponent for Evra`s initial fight has not yet been named.
The 43-year-old enjoyed a highly successful career in soccer, marked by numerous achievements including being selected for the PFA Team of the Year three times. He was a significant player for the renowned Manchester United team for nearly a decade, from 2005 to 2014.
In preparation for his move to the PFL Smart Cage, Evra has been training alongside French MMA star Cedric Doumbe. Evra has even humorously suggested a potential opponent for himself.
Evra announced his training and thoughts on social media, referencing a past rivalry. “BREAKING: I’m officially training for my first fight with PFL Europe,” Evra wrote. “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 event featuring Evra`s debut is set to be headlined by a lightweight bout between Mansour Barnaoui and Archie Colgan. The fight card will also include former UFC competitor Taylor Lapilus facing Ali Taleb.
