Former Manchester United captain Patrice Evra is officially transitioning from the football pitch to the mixed martial arts cage.
Officials have confirmed that the decorated former captain has signed a contract with the PFL (Professional Fighters League) to compete in mixed martial arts. Evra is scheduled to make his amateur debut at the PFL event on May 23rd, held at the Accor Arena in Paris, France.
As of now, an opponent for Evra`s inaugural fight has not been publicly named.
The 43-year-old enjoyed a highly successful football career, most notably spending nearly a decade with global giants Manchester United between 2005 and 2014. During his time there, he achieved numerous accolades, including being named to the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions.
In preparation for his move into the `PFL Smart Cage`, Evra has been training alongside French MMA star Cedric Doumbe. Evra has also openly discussed potential future opponents, even naming a specific individual he`d like to face.
Taking to Twitter, Evra shared his excitement and a humorous challenge: “BREAKING: I’m officially training for my first fight with PFL Europe,” he 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 where Evra will step into the cage for the first time is headlined by a lightweight bout between Mansour Barnaoui and Archie Colgan. The card also features former UFC competitor Taylor Lapilus squaring off against Ali Taleb.
