In a surprising turn of events, Manchester United and France legend Patrice Evra is set to make his MMA debut on the PFL Europe card in Paris on May 23. To be fair, the Champions League winner has been training in MMA with PFL knockout artists, Cedric Doumbe, since 2016 and was set to make his boxing debut back in 2022 against YouTuber Adam Saleh, but that fight fell through.

What is even more interesting is who Evra wants to fight. While he has left the decision up to the PFL, the legendary left-back wants to fight Luis Suarez, who was found guilty of racially abusing him during a Man United vs. Liverpool clash over a decade ago.

“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 announced on X.

As you can tell, Evra does not like Suarez and hasn’t forgiven the Uruguayan and former Barcelona star. Suarez, of course, was famous for being a biter, having been officially found guilty of biting opposing players three times in his career. The most famous of these incidents was him trying to take a bite of Italian player Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, for which he was briefly banned and fined by FIFA.

But, of course, Evra’s beef with Suarez is much more personal. The latter, who hasn’t been training martial arts for the past decade like Evra, will almost definitely not agree to fight him in the PFL. The Senegal-born fighter legend recalled running into Suarez in a supermarket and nearly beating him up. Thankfully, his better angels prevailed, and nothing came of it. But the PFL callout does show that, but it shows that Evra still wants to beat up Suarez.

Why is Patrice Evra changing lanes and making his MMA debut at PFL Europe?

Patrice Evra is 43-years-old, which is not a good age to be making your debut in one of the most dangerous sports in the world. But on the other hand, he is (or at least was) a world-class athlete, who has proven that he has the physical gifts and the intangibles to succeed at the highest level in soccer for extended periods of time.

So to treat Evra like just another 43-year-old would be a mistake. Not to mention Evra, as captain of Manchester United and France did make good money, and isn’t likely to be making his MMA debut for the money. So it seems he has just fallen in love with fighting and wants to prove to the world that he can succeed as a fighter too, which is borne out by his recent statement about his debut.

“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 23 May, so come watch the spectacle,” Evra said.

PFL-Bellator, of course, has seen an exodus of big stars like Patricio Pitbull and Aaron Pico in recent months and desperately needs firepower. Well, Evra may not be a big MMA star and is entirely unproven in the cage at the moment, but he will bring a fair few eyeballs to the PFL Europe event in Paris. So, all in all, a win-win for both parties. What do you think about Patrice Evra’s MMA aspirations?