Former Manchester United captain Patrice Evra signs with PFL, debut set

Patrice Evra is swapping out the soccer cleats for MMA gloves.

Promotional officials confirmed to MMA Fighting that French National Soccer Team and Manchester United captain has signed a deal with the PFL to compete in mixed martial arts. Evra makes his amateur debut at the PFL’s May 23 at Accor Arena in France.

No opponent has been named for Evra in his fighting debut.

The 43-year-old accomplished a lot on the soccer field, including being named to the PFA Team of the Year on three separate occasions. Evra played on the world-renowned Manchester United team for nearly a decade between 2005 to 2014.

Evra has been training alongside France MMA star Cedric Doumbe as he prepares to make the switch over to the PFL Smart Cage, and even has an opponent in mind.

“BREAKING: I’m officially training for my first fight with PFL Europe,” Evra wrote on Twitter. “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 is set to be headlined by a matchup between Mansour Barnaoui and Archie Colgan in a lightweight clash, while former UFC fighter Taylor Lapilus will compete against Ali Taleb.