- French football legend Patrice Evra would have made his debut in the world of combat sports tonight, Friday, May 23, 2025
- Evra, a former professional footballer who played for some of Europe’s top clubs, boasts a stellar career which includes five Premier League triumphs, a UEFA Champions League and two Serie A, among other titles
- His first professional fight will take place at the Professional Fighters League PFL Europe at the Accor Arena
French football legend Patrice Evra would have made his debut in the world of combat sports, specifically Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), tonight.
Evra made headlines last month when it was announced that he would step into the ring on Friday, May 23, for his first professional fight at the Professional Fighters League PFL Europe at the Accor Arena. However, the event which was to be headlined by Frenchman Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui’s (22-6) lightweight fight against Archie “King” Colgan (11-0), was rescheduled to a later date. No reason was given for the event failing to go down as planned at the time.
Evra, a former professional footballer who played for some of Europe’s top clubs, boasts a stellar career which includes five Premier League triumphs, a UEFA Champions League and two Serie A, among other titles. Some of the clubs he played for are Premier League side Manchester United, Italian giants Juventus, Monaco, Nice and West Ham United.
Following his retirement from football, the Frenchman has been working as a pundit. Unknown to many, he has been planning to become a pro MMA fighter and is already signed to PFL. The PFL is the second biggest Mixed Martial Arts promotion in the world after the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Patrice Evra has been working as a TV pundit since ending his professional football career. Photo/ BBC.
Evra, a world-class athlete, has always had a dream of becoming a MMA fighter for some time now and even started training while still playing football. The legendary left-back, often regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, began his combat training in 2016 while signed to Juventus.
While speaking of his highly anticipated debut last month, Evra told PFL that his debut in the ring will be a special moment to him.
“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.” Evra is quoted by Professional Fighters League.
Will Evra Fight Luis Suarez?
Patrice Evra’s name is often mentioned along that of Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez. When announcing that he would be making his MMA debut, the former France international posted on X: 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.”
Suarez, who is currently playing for Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer alongside Lionel Messi, had a feud with Evra during their time in the English Premier League. Their feud dates back to October 2011 when Suarez racially abused Evra during a draw at Anfield Stadium.
The FA charged Suarez the following month and he was banned for eight matches. After completing his ban, Suarez refused to shake Evra’s hand as the players lined up before kick-off at Old Trafford. United won the match and Evra tried to provoke the Liverpool forward by celebrating in front of him as he headed towards the Manchester United fan.
Luis Suarez was found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra and the FA slapped him with a ban of eight matches. Photo/ ESPN.
Suarez, who turned 38 earlier this year, found himself in more trouble after the feud with Evra as he was found guilty of biting two opponents on the pitch.
In 2013, he was handed a 10-match ban after being found guilty of biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. He was accused of biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and was banned for four months from football-related activities. Those biting incidents had a negative impact on Suarez’s football career and reputation.
