Editor’s note: This article was originally published on MMAJunkie.com.
***
It appears Vitor Belfort is double-booked at the start of his boxing career.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion is slated to face former longtime boxing champ and current promoter Oscar De La Hoya in an exhibition match in September and already has his next bout booked under the Triller Fight Club banner.
In an interview with TMZ, Belfort said after boxing De La Hoya, he will take on Evander Holyfield just three months later. Holyfield was scheduled to fight Kevin McBride in an eight-round exhibition match on June 5, but the fight has been scrapped and he will now compete on Aug. 14 as part of a Triller Fight Club boxing card against an opponent yet to be announced.
“After September, December is me vs. Holyfield,” Belfort said. “Get ready for the crossover. We are taking over. Triller is bringing the fights.”
Belfort, 44, hasn’t competed since May 2018. He was in talks to make his ONE Championship debut against Alain Ngalani in April 2020, but the bout never happened and he’s no longer tied to the Asian promotion.
Now fully focused on his boxing career, Belfort said there is historical significance behind his fight with De La Hoya and it will sell despite there being no bad blood between the two.
“I believe this fight with me and Oscar, this is the biggest fight ever,” Belfort said. “The reason why is Oscar is a legendary (Olympic) gold medalist, one of the best pound-for-pound that ever lived. He revolutionized the sport. If it wasn’t for Oscar, there wouldn’t be Mayweather. If it wasn’t for Vitor Belfort, Conor McGregor wouldn’t exist. So now the new generation will be educated on who these two guys are from Mexico and Brazil going to America, the land of the dreams. Oscar became an Olympic gold medalist. Vitor became the youngest (UFC) champion ever. This fight is about breaking records.
“Fights have always been, ‘Oh, this is the bad guy, this is the good guy.’ This fight will sell like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman because of skills, legacy. It’s because they paved the way for this generation today.”
[lawrence-related id=21158]