MMA icon Khabib Nurmagomedov indicated he will help former Manchester United star Patrice Evra prepare for his upcoming PFL mixed martial arts debut, famously using his “send me location” line.
The legendary defender, who had a celebrated football career including spells at Old Trafford, Juventus, West Ham, Monaco, and Marseille, is scheduled to make his first professional MMA appearance for PFL next month in Paris. At 43 years old, this marks a significant career change.
Patrice Evra Discusses Training With Khabib Nurmagomedov
While training in Dubai, where the retired UFC champion also resides, Evra connected with Nurmagomedov via FaceTime. A known supporter of Manchester United, Khabib initially seemed surprised by Evra`s decision to compete, even humorously suggesting he could fight in Evra`s place.
As Evra detailed his rigorous training schedule, Nurmagomedov reportedly questioned, “Brother, you don’t need this why? If you need to fight I’m gonna fight for you.”
Evra expressed his seriousness about the new venture and his respect for the sport and Khabib, explaining, “I need to train bro, I need to take it seriously… that’s why I really need to have a training session with you. I really need to know from the best.”
Embracing his popular catchphrase, Khabib then demanded Evra`s whereabouts: “Tell me where are you? Brother, when I see you, you have to be ready and that’s it. Other things we can take care of, I’m going to teach you how to smash people.”
Evra jokingly responded that while he felt Khabib liked him, he also feared the former champion might want to “kill and destroy” him during training. Khabib quickly reassured him, “No no, I just want you to improve yourself, nothing else. It’s very good to see you brother, send me location and we will train.”
Evra Training With Other Notable Fighters
Ahead of stepping into the cage, Evra has been training at the Tripl3 MMA gym in Dubai and has sought help from other prominent fighters. This includes sessions with PFL featherweight champion Brendan Loughnane, who welcomed Evra to the promotion via an Instagram post featuring his championship belt. Evra had also previously trained with kickboxer Cedric Doumbe when he was considering a boxing fight.
