Tag: Evander Holyfield

MMA Junkie Radio #3190: UFC Fight Night 191 and ONE Championship review, Triller Fight Club preview

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,190, the guys react to the latest headlines in MMA – including [autotag]Evander Holyfield[/autotag] stepping in to face [autotag]Vitor Belfort[/autotag] in a boxing bout this weekend, as well as reviewing the results from UFC Fight Night 191 and “ONE Championship: Empower” – as well as debating the role of the oblique kick in MMA and looking toward the future for [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag]. Tune in!

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Oscar De La Hoya has COVID-19, Evander Holyfield to fight Vitor Belfort: report

Oscar De La Hoya has COVID-19, forcing him to pull out of his fight against Vitor Belfort on Sept. 11. Evander Holyfield will face Belfort.

Oscar De La Hoya has been hospitalized with COVID-19, forcing him to pull out of his pay-per-view comeback fight against Vitor Belfort on Sept. 11 in Los Angeles, TMZ is reporting.

Evander Holyfield, 58, will step in to fight Belfort in L.A. if the California State Athletic Commission gives him clearance, according to TMZ. If California officials don’t approve the matchup, it will be moved to Florida.

De La Hoya posted a video on social media to explain his situation. He said: “I wanted you to hear directly form me that despite being fully vaccinated, I have contracted Covid and am not going to be able to fight next weekend.

“Preparing for this comeback has been everything to me over the last months, and I want to hank everyone for their tremendous support. I am currently in the hospital getting treatment and am confident I will be back in the ring before the year is up. God bless everyone and stay safe.”

De La Hoya, 48, hasn’t fought since he was knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in 2008. Holyfield has been in the ring more recently, in 2011, when he stopped Brian Nielsen.

Holyfield has been a candidate to face Mike Tyson but the two were unable to reach a deal. Tyson faced Roy Jones Jr. in a successful exhibition this past November. The former heavyweight champ then moved on to Kevin McBride, who ended Tyson’s career. However, a Holyfield-McBride fight scheduled for June was postponed.

Belfort, a former MMA star, had told TMZ in June that he planned to fight Holyfield three months after his bout with De La Hoya. He had been targeting December for the fight with Holyfield.

Holyfield will turn 59 on Oct. 19. Belfort, a former MMA star, is 44.

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Oscar De La Hoya has COVID-19, Evander Holyfield to fight Vitor Belfort: report

Oscar De La Hoya has COVID-19, forcing him to pull out of his fight against Vitor Belfort on Sept. 11. Evander Holyfield will face Belfort.

Oscar De La Hoya has been hospitalized with COVID-19, forcing him to pull out of his pay-per-view comeback fight against Vitor Belfort on Sept. 11 in Los Angeles, TMZ is reporting.

Evander Holyfield, 58, will step in to fight Belfort in L.A. if the California State Athletic Commission gives him clearance, according to TMZ. If California officials don’t approve the matchup, it will be moved to Florida.

De La Hoya posted a video on social media to explain his situation. He said: “I wanted you to hear directly form me that despite being fully vaccinated, I have contracted Covid and am not going to be able to fight next weekend.

“Preparing for this comeback has been everything to me over the last months, and I want to hank everyone for their tremendous support. I am currently in the hospital getting treatment and am confident I will be back in the ring before the year is up. God bless everyone and stay safe.”

De La Hoya, 48, hasn’t fought since he was knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in 2008. Holyfield has been in the ring more recently, in 2011, when he stopped Brian Nielsen.

Holyfield has been a candidate to face Mike Tyson but the two were unable to reach a deal. Tyson faced Roy Jones Jr. in a successful exhibition this past November. The former heavyweight champ then moved on to Kevin McBride, who ended Tyson’s career. However, a Holyfield-McBride fight scheduled for June was postponed.

Belfort, a former MMA star, had told TMZ in June that he planned to fight Holyfield three months after his bout with De La Hoya. He had been targeting December for the fight with Holyfield.

Holyfield will turn 59 on Oct. 19. Belfort, a former MMA star, is 44.

[lawrence-related id=23363,22862,22859,22188,22170,22023,21168]

 

 

Reports: Oscar De La Hoya out vs. Vitor Belfort with COVID-19, Evander Holyfield tapped as replacement

Oscar De La Hoya has COVID-19 and won’t be boxing Vitor Belfort at the Triller Fight Club event on Sept. 11.

[autotag]Oscar De La Hoya[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vitor Belfort[/autotag] won’t be happening after all – at least not next week.

De La Hoya, the boxing legend who was supposed to come out of retirement to box former UFC champion Belfort in the Triller Fight Club main event on Sept. 11 in Los Angeles, has contracted COVID-19 and will be unable to compete in the bout.

The promotion already has a backup plan in place, however, and another boxing legend, [autotag]Evander Holyfield[/autotag], is set to step in and replace De La Hoya in the fight.

The news was first reported by TMZ and subsequently reported by ESPN.

According to the TMZ report, the Triller Fight Club event could be relocated from Los Angeles to Florida if the California State Athletic Commission is unable or unwilling to license the 58-year-old Holyfield in time for the event.

It’s not currently known if Belfort vs. Holyfield would be a professional fight or an exhibition.

Stay tuned to MMA Junkie for more on this story as it develops.

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Whatever happened to missing piece of ear from Tyson-Holyfield ‘Bite Fight’? Podcast dives into mystery

A new podcast titled “Lost in Sports” tackles the mystery of what happened to the piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear Mike Tyson chewed off.

Gotham Chopra, the creator of the documentary series “Religion of Sports,” has a launched a new podcast titled “Lost in Sports” that asks: Whatever happened to …?

He found an enduring question in boxing.

Chopra and his colleagues have tried to determine what happened to the portion of Evander Holyfield’s ear that Mike Tyson chewed off and spat onto the canvas in their second meeting, on June 28, 1997 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Here’s what we’ve know about the body part, according to Lost in Sports: It was picked up by an MGM employee and placed on ice. Then it was given to an EMT in the locker room and transported to a hospital, where it was given to a doctor for the purpose of reattaching it.

And then it disappeared, which leads us back to the podcast episode.

“I remember when we were brainstorming … everyone said, ‘I remember that. That s— was crazy. Whatever happened with that?’” Chopra told Boxing Junkie.

Does the podcast solve the mystery? Evidently not. However, that’s not really the purpose of it. Such unforgettable events as the “Bite Fight” are intended to be a pathway into a larger conversation about the people and events that surrounded them.

In this case, host Ben Baskin and his guests use the second Tyson-Holyfield fight to look back on the craziest part of Tyson’s career, during which he fought a constant battle with his formidable demons.

That battle simply came to a head – Holyfield’s – in that unforgettable moment in boxing history.

“We call it ‘sports artifacts,’” said Chopra, referring to the hook for each podcast. “It sort of becomes just a piece of a much bigger story. What happened to Kirk Gibson’s legendary home run ball from the 1988 World Series? [That episode] is less about the ball than what the Dodgers mean to the city of Los Angeles.

“… It’s a story about Mike Tyson, his descent in a larger sense, and the lore that surrounds this sport.”

Chopra was asked specifically about the piece of Holyfield’s ear that was never found. Did he and his team come away with any answers?

“We have an idea,” he said. “The ear was picked up and handed off. And then it basically got lost in history. … So, no. It’s lost in the annals of sports mythology.”

But it’s still a subject that’s interesting to talk about … and listen to.

Whatever happened to missing piece of ear from Tyson-Holyfield ‘Bite Fight’? Podcast dives into mystery

A new podcast titled “Lost in Sports” tackles the mystery of what happened to the piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear Mike Tyson chewed off.

Gotham Chopra, the creator of the documentary series “Religion of Sports,” has a launched a new podcast titled “Lost in Sports” that asks: Whatever happened to …?

He found an enduring question in boxing.

Chopra and his colleagues have tried to determine what happened to the portion of Evander Holyfield’s ear that Mike Tyson chewed off and spat onto the canvas in their second meeting, on June 28, 1997 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Here’s what we’ve know about the body part, according to Lost in Sports: It was picked up by an MGM employee and placed on ice. Then it was given to an EMT in the locker room and transported to a hospital, where it was given to a doctor for the purpose of reattaching it.

And then it disappeared, which leads us back to the podcast episode.

“I remember when we were brainstorming … everyone said, ‘I remember that. That s— was crazy. Whatever happened with that?’” Chopra told Boxing Junkie.

Does the podcast solve the mystery? Evidently not. However, that’s not really the purpose of it. Such unforgettable events as the “Bite Fight” are intended to be a pathway into a larger conversation about the people and events that surrounded them.

In this case, host Ben Baskin and his guests use the second Tyson-Holyfield fight to look back on the craziest part of Tyson’s career, during which he fought a constant battle with his formidable demons.

That battle simply came to a head – Holyfield’s – in that unforgettable moment in boxing history.

“We call it ‘sports artifacts,’” said Chopra, referring to the hook for each podcast. “It sort of becomes just a piece of a much bigger story. What happened to Kirk Gibson’s legendary home run ball from the 1988 World Series? [That episode] is less about the ball than what the Dodgers mean to the city of Los Angeles.

“… It’s a story about Mike Tyson, his descent in a larger sense, and the lore that surrounds this sport.”

Chopra was asked specifically about the piece of Holyfield’s ear that was never found. Did he and his team come away with any answers?

“We have an idea,” he said. “The ear was picked up and handed off. And then it basically got lost in history. … So, no. It’s lost in the annals of sports mythology.”

But it’s still a subject that’s interesting to talk about … and listen to.

Vitor Belfort: First Oscar De La Hoya, then Evander Holyfield

Vitor Belfort plans to fight Evander Holyfield after his exhibition with Oscar De La Hoya.

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]

Vitor Belfort: First Oscar De La Hoya, then Evander Holyfield

Vitor Belfort plans to fight Evander Holyfield after his exhibition with Oscar De La Hoya.

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]

Video: Mannix, Mora: Evander Holyfield’s return to ring

Video: Mannix, Mora: Evander Holyfield’s return to ring.

Former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield, 58, will meet 47-year-old Kevin McBride in an exhibition on June 5, the latest fight involving retired boxers.

Holyfield is following the lead of former rival Mike Tyson, whose bout with Roy Jones Jr. in November was a commercial success.

Is the new trend of geezers climbing back into the ring a good idea? And will fans be interested in seeing Holyfield face an obscure fighter like McBride, who was Tyson’s last opponent in a sanctioned bout.

In this episode of Jabs with Mannix and Mora, DAZN commentators Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora try to answer those questions.

Here’s what they had to say.

[jwplayer sz5uQnMe]

Video: Mannix, Mora: Evander Holyfield’s return to ring

Video: Mannix, Mora: Evander Holyfield’s return to ring.

Former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield, 58, will meet 47-year-old Kevin McBride in an exhibition on June 5, the latest fight involving retired boxers.

Holyfield is following the lead of former rival Mike Tyson, whose bout with Roy Jones Jr. in November was a commercial success.

Is the new trend of geezers climbing back into the ring a good idea? And will fans be interested in seeing Holyfield face an obscure fighter like McBride, who was Tyson’s last opponent in a sanctioned bout.

In this episode of Jabs with Mannix and Mora, DAZN commentators Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora try to answer those questions.

Here’s what they had to say.

[jwplayer sz5uQnMe]