Patrice Evra Targets Luis Suarez for May 23 MMA Debut

Former Manchester United and France footballer Patrice Evra is set to make his mixed martial arts debut at a Professional Fighters League (PFL) event in Paris on May 23, where he has publicly expressed his desire to face his long-time football rival, Luis Suarez. Evra's call-out of Suarez references their infamous 2011 Premier League clash, which resulted in Suarez receiving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Evra, and includes a tongue-in-cheek nod to Suarez's history of biting opponents. While the PFL has not confirmed Evra’s opponent and Suarez remains an active footballer with Inter Miami, Evra has stated he is willing to pay out of pocket to make the matchup happen and joked that Suarez 'can even bite me.' Evra, who has trained in combat sports since 2016, is framing his MMA debut as a 'showcase bout' and promises to put on a show for fans. The event is expected to attract significant attention from both football and MMA communities due to the high-profile history between the two players. However, it remains unlikely that Suarez will participate, leaving the actual lineup for Evra's debut yet to be determined.