Former Manchester United captain Patrice Evra is making a significant switch, trading his soccer cleats for mixed martial arts gloves.
Officials from the Professional Fighters League (PFL) have confirmed the signing of the former French National Soccer Team and Manchester United captain to compete in MMA. Evra is scheduled to make his amateur fighting debut on May 23rd at the Accor Arena in Paris, France.
An opponent for Evra`s first fight has not yet been announced.
The 43-year-old had a highly successful soccer career, achieving numerous accolades, including being selected for the PFA Team of the Year three times. He was a prominent player for Manchester United from 2005 to 2014.
Evra has reportedly been training alongside French MMA standout Cedric Doumbe in preparation for his transition to the PFL Smart Cage. He has even humorously suggested a potential opponent.
On Twitter, Evra posted: “BREAKING: I’m officially training for my first fight with PFL Europe. 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 May 23rd event is also scheduled to feature a lightweight main event between Mansour Barnaoui and Archie Colgan, as well as a bout between former UFC fighter Taylor Lapilus and Ali Taleb.
