Patrice Evra mocks Luis Suarez in shock announcement to confirm MMA career switch
Patrice Evra has announced a shock career change, with the former Manchester United footballer set to make his debut in mixed martial arts (MMA) next month.
The former France international left-back will fight on the Professional Fighters League's PFL Europe 2 card to take place at the Accor Arena in Paris on Friday, May 23 - five days after his 44th birthday.
Evra will compete as an amateur against an opponent who has yet to be named, joking on social media that he had asked to take on former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.
Evra is said to have been combat training for almost a decade now and is friends with PFL welterweight Cedric Doumbe.
🚨𝘽𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 🚨From the Pitch to the SmartCage ⚽️👊Former Manchester United and Les Bleus star @Evra makes his PFL MMA DEBUT at PFL Paris on Friday 23rd May#PFLParis | Friday 23rd May🎟️ On Sale NOW | LIVE on DAZN pic.twitter.com/2iCufpIFVy
— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 25, 2025
'BREAKING: I'm officially training for my first fight with @PFLEurope,' he wrote on X on Friday. 'They will pick my opponent...
'They asked who I wanna face. I said: Luis Suárez. I'll pay out of pocket. He can even bite me.'
Evra also said: 'You guys should know by now, I love this game too.
'I've performed on the world's biggest stages, won every major trophy in football, but PFL Europe Paris will be an incredibly special night for me.
'I've been training alongside the best in the world for years and they'll also tell you I'm ready for this. I'm going to put on a show at the Accor Arena on May 23, so come watch the spectacle.'
Evra made over 700 club appearances during an illustrious football career that lasted from 1998 until 2019, including 379 for Manchester United between 2006-14, where he won five Premier League titles and the Champions League under Sir Alex Ferguson.
He also won trophies with Juventus and Monaco and represented Nice and Marseille after beginning as a professional with Marsala and Monza in Italy, also earning 81 senior caps for France and playing at multiple major tournaments.
BREAKING: I'm officially training for my first fight with @PFLEurope. They will pick my opponent...They asked who I wanna face. I said:Luis Suárez.I'll pay out of pocket.He can even bite me.
— Patrice Evra (@Evra) April 25, 2025
Evra's last stop as a player was at West Ham, where he played just five times on a short-term deal before leaving in the summer of 2018 and officially retiring a year later aged 38 as he stated a desire to move into coaching.
He has worked as a pundit since then as well as doing his coaching badges and also played at Soccer Aid.
Evra also became known for his eccentric antics on social media in which he expressed his positive outlook towards football and life in general in humorous fashion along with the catchphrase: 'I love this game', which is also the title of his 2021 autobiography.
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