Cliff Notes – Man United great Patrice Evra eyes Luis Suárez fight in MMA debut
- Patrice Evra, former Manchester United defender, will make his MMA debut in a "showcase bout" in Paris on May 23, expressing a desire to fight Luis Suárez.
- The rivalry between Evra and Suárez stems from past incidents, including a racially charged altercation in 2011 that resulted in an eight-match ban for Suárez.
- Evra has been training for the fight alongside Professional Fighters League star Cédric Doumbé, with the PFL yet to announce his opponent.
Man United great Patrice Evra eyes Luis Suárez fight in MMA debut
Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra will make his debut as an MMA fighter in a “showcase bout” in Paris on May 23 and the Manchester United legend has said he would like to take on Luis Suárez who “can even bite me.”
The former left-back, 43, who won five Premier League titles and a Champions League during his eight years at Old Trafford, was involved in several incidents with the former Liverpool forward during their time playing in England.
In November 2011, Suárez was charged by the Football Association with racially abusing Evra in a draw between Liverpool and United at Anfield one month earlier. Suárez was subsequently banned for eight games.
After Suárez had completed his ban, the pair came face to face again when United beat Liverpool at Old Trafford in February, with the Uruguay international refusing to shake Evra’s hand as the players lined up before kick-off.
Suarez, who is currently playing alongside Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, was later involved in high-profile incidents in which he bit opponents such as Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic and Italy’s Georgio Chiellini.
“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,” Evra wrote in a post on X.
Luis Suárez and Patrice Evra were involved in several on-pitch incidents during their respective spells with Liverpool and Manchester United. Getty
Evra has been training for the event alongside his friend and Professional Fighters League (PFL) star Cédric Doumbé.
“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.” Evra said in a statement.
“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 23 May, so come watch the spectacle.”
The former France international’s opponent for what the PFL has described as a “showcase bout” has not yet been announced.
“I’m told he loves this game as much as us, and we’ll find out on 23 May!” PFL CEO Pete Murray said. “We’re incredibly excited to have the superstar that is Patrice Evra fight under the PFL banner, as we’re all about exciting match-ups and making history.
“I can’t tell you how excited Patrice has been putting this together, but I think you’re going to see it at the Accor Arena.”
Evra retired in 2018 following a brief spell with West Ham United.