Patrice Evra signs with PFL ahead of MMA debut, calls out old foe Luis Suarez

Manchester United legend Patrice Evra has signed with the Professional Fighters League, scheduled to make his MMA debut in four weeks – and he wants to fight Luis Suarez.

The PFL announced on Friday Evra’s addition to the ranks with the 43-year-old’s octagon debut set for Friday, May 23 at the Accor Arena in Paris, .

Evra said in a statement: “I’ve been training alongside the best in the world for years and they’ll tell you I’m ready for this. I love this game too!”

He’s been working with good pal and PFL superstar Cedric Doumbe, a former two-time Glory Welterweight Champion in kickboxing who boasts a 6-1 record in MMA – that loss due to injury after a piece of glass became embedded in his toe.

Who will Patrice Evra fight on his PFL debut?

The Frenchman’s opponent is still to be announced but he hasn’t wasted any time in trying to find one, calling out old foe Luis Suarez on social media.

The Uruguayan was banned for eight matches and slapped with a £40,000 fine after being found guilty of racially abusing Evra during a 1-1 draw between United and Liverpool at Anfield in October 2011.

Suarez hit the headlines once again in the return fixture at Old Trafford months later when he refused to shake Evra’s hand pre-match, which he later apologised for.

Evra taunted the Inter Miami forward in a post on X (formerly Twitter), offering to pay for his services and joking he could even bite him.

How many times was Luis Suarez banned for biting?

1. Seven games at Ajax for biting PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakka (2010)
2. Ten games at Liverpool for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic (2013)
3. Outright four-month ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup for Uruguay (2014)

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.

— Patrice Evra (@Evra) April 25, 2025

Evra enjoyed a spectacular 20-year career in football, winning 14 major honours at United including five Premier League titles and a Champions League winners’ medal.

The iconic left-back is a familiar face in a number of excursions outside of football, infamous for bizarre posts on social media alongside appearances on TV as a pundit and the Sidemen’s reality show Inside.

In July, Evra was hit with a suspended 12-month prison sentence after being found guilty of abandoning his family for over two years – owing over £800,000 in unpaid alimony to his ex-wife and their children.