Evra's MMA debut on hold as PFL Paris delayed

The PFL has announced its Paris event at the Accor Arena on 23 May will be rescheduled.

The event was to be headlined by Frenchman Mansour Barnaoui's lightweight fight against Archie Colgan.

Retired footballer Patrice Evra was also booked to make his MMA debut in a surprise move by the former Manchester United defender.

The 43-year-old - who quit football in 2019 - has been training since 2016 with PFL star and friend Cedric Doumbe.

No reason has been given for the event not going ahead as planned, with a new date yet to be confirmed.

Evra was yet to announce who his opponent would be, but the fight was expected to happen at welterweight.

Evra, who won 81 caps for France, wrote on social media last month: "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."

In 2011, Uruguay striker Suarez - then playing for Liverpool - was banned for eight games for racially abusing Evra, who was playing for United.

Suarez, 38, who still plays football for Inter Miami, has been found guilty of biting three opponents in his career.

Speaking in the PFL press release about the announcement, Evra said: "I love this game too."

Evra has worked as a TV pundit since retiring as a player.

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is the second biggest MMA promotion in the world, behind the UFC.