Tag: Holyfield vs Belfort

Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on MMAJunkie.com.

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HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – As many expected, Vitor Belfort put away Evander Holyfield with ease.

The former UFC champion needed less than two minutes to dispatch the 58-year-old Holyfield in their heavyweight boxing bout Saturday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The official stoppage came at the 1:49 mark of the first round.

As soon as the bell rang, they touched gloves and the action immediately began. Holyfield pressured the Brazilian and landed a nice left hook. Soon after that, Belfort rocked Holyfield with a right hand and had him wobbled. Belfort pressured Holyfield and knocked him down. Holyfield quickly stood up, but was quickly put down again with a right hand.

Holyfield continued after his second knockdown to get greeted by a barrage of punches from Belfort. The referee immediately stopped the bout as Holyfield was clearly hurt.

IT IS ALL OVER! @vitorbelfort STOPS EVANDER IN THE FIRST!!!

Catch the replay!#TRILLERFIGHTCLUB LIVE RIGHT NOW ON #FITE!

[ #HolyfieldBelfort | https://t.co/jpCvXLI1j3 ] pic.twitter.com/IwQgJUqQBB

— FITE (@FiteTV) September 12, 2021

Holyfield took the fight on short notice, replacing Oscar De La Hoya, who was forced out of the bout with Belfort after getting hospitalized from COVID-19.

Holyfield hadn’t fought in a decade. The last time he competed was at age 48, when he defeated Brian Nielsen via TKO. The fourt-ime heavyweight champion is a little over a year away from his 60th birthday.

Holyfield disagreed with the stoppage of his fight:

“I think it was a bad call,” Holyfield said on the broadcast. “I don’t think the referee should’ve stopped the fight that quick.”

Meanwhile, Belfort, 44, returned to competition for the first time since his TKO loss to Lyoto Machida in May 2018 under MMA. Belfort has only competed once in professional boxing, having defeated Josemario Neves in 2006.

Belfort called out Jake Paul in his post-fight interview alongside Triller Fight Club CEO Ryan Kavanaugh. The original offer of $25 million for Paul to take the fight was upped to $30 million on the spot by Kavanaugh.

EVANDER HOLYFIELD RETURNS TO THE RING AT 58 AGAINST FORMER UFC CHAMPION VITOR BELFORT IN AN EIGHT-ROUND PAY-PER-VIEW BOUT SATURDAY IN HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA.

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EVANDER HOLYFIELD (44-10-2, 29 KOs)
VS. VITOR BELFORT (1-0, 1 KOs)

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 11
• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (featured fights)
• Where: Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood, Fla.
• TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
• Cost: $49.99
• Division: Heavyweight (eight two-minute rounds)
• At stake: No titles
• Pound-for-pound ranking: None
• Odds: Holyfield 1½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)

• Also on the card: Andy Vences vs. Jono Carroll, junior lightweights; Anderson Silva vs. Tito Ortiz, cruiserweights
• Prediction: Holyfield KO 7

• Background: Oscar De La Hoya, 48, was scheduled to fight Vitor Belfort in Los Angeles but had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19. In stepped 58-year-old former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield, who has been angling for a comeback fight over the past few years and was targeted by Belfort. Holyfield last fought in May 2011, when he stopped Brian Nielsen in 10 rounds. He was always known for his fitness but there is no telling how a man nearing his 59^th birthday will perform in the ring, even one of the best fighters of his generation. That said, he’ll have a distinct advantage over Belfort in terms of experience. The 44-year-old former UFC champion has taken part in one boxing match, a first-round knockout in 2006. And Holyfield presumably will be significant bigger than Belfort. Holyfield weighed 226 for the Nielsen fight. Belfort and De La Hoya had agreed to a 185-pound weight limit, although Belfort probably will come in well over 185 without restrictions. The fight was moved to Florida after California authorities refused to sanction the bout.

[lawrence-related id=23551,23510,23416]

EVANDER HOLYFIELD RETURNS TO THE RING AT 58 AGAINST FORMER UFC CHAMPION VITOR BELFORT IN AN EIGHT-ROUND PAY-PER-VIEW BOUT SATURDAY IN HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA.

***

EVANDER HOLYFIELD (44-10-2, 29 KOs)
VS. VITOR BELFORT (1-0, 1 KOs)

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 11
• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (featured fights)
• Where: Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood, Fla.
• TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
• Cost: $49.99
• Division: Heavyweight (eight two-minute rounds)
• At stake: No titles
• Pound-for-pound ranking: None
• Odds: Holyfield 1½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)

• Also on the card: Andy Vences vs. Jono Carroll, junior lightweights; Anderson Silva vs. Tito Ortiz, cruiserweights
• Prediction: Holyfield KO 7

• Background: Oscar De La Hoya, 48, was scheduled to fight Vitor Belfort in Los Angeles but had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19. In stepped 58-year-old former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield, who has been angling for a comeback fight over the past few years and was targeted by Belfort. Holyfield last fought in May 2011, when he stopped Brian Nielsen in 10 rounds. He was always known for his fitness but there is no telling how a man nearing his 59^th birthday will perform in the ring, even one of the best fighters of his generation. That said, he’ll have a distinct advantage over Belfort in terms of experience. The 44-year-old former UFC champion has taken part in one boxing match, a first-round knockout in 2006. And Holyfield presumably will be significant bigger than Belfort. Holyfield weighed 226 for the Nielsen fight. Belfort and De La Hoya had agreed to a 185-pound weight limit, although Belfort probably will come in well over 185 without restrictions. The fight was moved to Florida after California authorities refused to sanction the bout.

[lawrence-related id=23551,23510,23416]