Evander Holyfield is one of the greatest heavyweights to ever compete in professional boxing. Now, after ending his 10-year retirement and returning to the sport on Sept. 11, fans are wondering when is Evander Holyfield’s next fight.
Who will Evander Holyfield’s next fight be against?
Despite falling short in his comeback bout, Holyfield’s fans will surely crave “one more fight” after his matchup against mixed martial arts star Vitor Belfort ended so quickly. When he does return, the fights that are the most logical options would be Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, and UFC veteran Frank Mir.
- The Brit Legend: Holyfield has a loss and a draw against Lewis. Their feud is one that has always felt like it had unfinished business. In the era of geriatric super fights, now may be the time for the trilogy.
- An Iron Trilogy: The first two fights between Holyfield and Tyson were fights won by “Real Deal.” However, because of the rematch’s infamous ear-biting incident, the two are forever linked. And with Tyson as popular as ever, now may be a good time to relive the circus with an exhibition trilogy.
- The MMA heavyweight: Mir competes in Saturday’s Triad Combat mixed rules event against a former boxing champion in Kubrat Pulev. If the former UFC heavyweight champion wins in this punching-driven fight, a booking of a couple of heavyweight greats from two different sports could be an easy sell to many combat sports fans.
Evander Holyfield vs Vitor Belfort fight recap
After 10 years away from the squared circle, “Real Deal” made his return to the sport that made him a legend at Triller Fight Clubs: Legends II, inside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Unfortunately for the boxing great, former Ultimate Fighting Championship star, Vitor Belfort gave the 58-year-old an unwelcomed return to the ring.
What happened: Holyfield’s comeback fight only lasted 1:49. A sad result for sure, but considering his age, that he was facing a man more than a decade younger, and competing on short notice, a victory was always going to be a challenge for the Atlanta resident. Belfort proved too fast and Holyfield’s reflexes too slow. He was overwhelmed quickly and the fight was over before he knew what happened.
The fallout: A case could be made the bout was ended too quickly. Holyfield did not seem badly hurt or without his wits. However, after falling on a missed punch, and legitimately being knocked down at one point in the fight, the former heavyweight champs age probably forced the referee to be more cautious and give him little leeway when the Brazilian put him in a difficult position.
The roadmap ahead: There certainly won’t be a rematch, and the Triller brass were already positioning Belfort for a scrap with Logan Paul’s more talented brother Jake. However, there is no reason to expect Holyfield won’t get one more fight. Especially, since he did the promotion a favor and stepped in on short notice when Belfort’s original opponent, Oscar De La Hoya, tested positive for COVID-19.
What makes Evander Holyfield so popular?
The “Real Deal”: Holyfield is a legendary figure for beating some of the greatest fighters of his generation, and often times he was not the favorite going into those matchups. Although he maybe wasn’t the hardest hitter or had the fastest hands in his era, he made up for it with guts and technical boxing brilliance.
- Evander Holyfield record: 44-10-2 (29 knockouts)
- Holyfield won 44 of his 57 bouts in the sweet science. Handing Ls to fellow legends in Riddick Bowe, George Foreman, Michael Moorer, and Mike Tyson.
- His two-fight series with Tyson is mythic for some amazing and outrageous reasons. Firstly, because he outboxed the fearsome New Yorker and handed him the second and third losses of his career. Secondly, and most, unfortunately, Holyfield was on the wrong end of “Iron Mike’s” now infamous in-fight bites to both of the Alabama native’s ears in their 1997 rematch.
- “Real Deal” was somewhat of a rarity for his time, in that he was a world champion cruiserweight star who made the move up to heavyweight and dominated just the same. He also won a bronze medal at light heavyweight in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
- One other factor making Holyfield a beloved figure despite often being undersized in a land of power-punching giants was that he was rarely stopped in his 10 losses. And he had a heart and iron-will that separated him from most fighters of his time.
Evander Holyfield net worth
The measure of a fighter is often down to the money they’ve made throughout their career. Due to various reasons, including owing back taxes to the IRS, Holyfield’s net worth went from upwards of US $200 million to an estimated US $1 million in recent years.