3 reasons to watch Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort
By Jake Foley
Here are three reasons to watch Triller’s Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort boxing event.
The latest edition of unpredictable boxing events goes down on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. Originally scheduled to be headlined by Oscar De la Hoya and Vitor Belfort, everything was changed when De la Hoya got COVID. Luckily, Triller knew the perfect man to fill in and save the event.
On less than two weeks’ notice, legendary boxer Evander Holyfield has chosen to box Belfort. Unfortunately, Holyfield is 58 years old and was not approved to box in the state of California. Therefore, Triller chose to pack up the event and move to Florida, where anyone can get approved by the state commission. Although the return of De la Hoya would have been intriguing, Holyfield fighting at 58 years old has raised even more questions that need to be answered.
Also, Holyfield vs. Belfort will not be the only fighting taking place on Saturday. MMA legends Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz will be going toe-to-toe in a fight that would have been a must-see twenty years ago in the Octagon. The two main fights are accompanied by David Haye vs. Joe Fournier and Andy Vences vs. Jono Carroll. Let’s take a look at three reasons to watch Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort.
The shocking return of Evander Holyfield
After a shocking turn of events, Holyfield will step in to save the event. The last time Holyfield boxed was over ten years ago, where he won by TKO against Brian Nielsen. The main concern clearly is not Holyfield’s skills but his age. At 58 years old, Holyfield was denied eligibility in California before the event was moved to Florida. Safety will be a concern, but surely nobody will stop the boxing legend from competing.
Although age and inactivity may be a concern, Mike Tyson has given hope for retired boxing legends after his success against Roy Jones Jr. earlier this year. Holyfield will have several things in his favor including, size, experience, reach, and boxing IQ. The idea of a 58-year-old Holyfield knocking out Belfort has made this fight more intriguing than most would have thought. Win or lose, Holyfield will most likely not box again after this, so enjoying his greatness once again will be an honor in itself.
Is Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort the start of Belfort’s celebrity boxing career?
MMA fighters tend to get hate when transitioning over to boxing, but Belfort may find success. At 44 years old, Belfort is tied for the most KOs in UFC history. Despite several allegations of past PED use, the memories Belfort created in the UFC will last forever. With that being said, Belfort looks to rejuvenate his career, and it all starts with a win against the legendary Holyfield.
Unlike most MMA fighters in boxing, Belfort actually has previous experience. Although it is only one fight, Belfort won his pro boxing debut fifteen years ago. Belfort won the fight by first-round KO against Josemario Neves, who never competed again. Regardless of his age, a win against Holyfield could set up Belfort for several boxing fights moving forward. If we have learned anything recently, there is a market for these wild combat sport crossover fights.
Will Anderson Silva continue his resurgence as a boxer?
Despite the numerous MMA fighters losing in boxing, one legend was able to push back. Silva was set up for failure in a boxing match against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Mexico. Shockingly, Silva looked amazing and managed to pull off the split decision upset against Chavez Jr. Although Chavez Jr. is not the best representation of boxing, the win was huge for Silva, who recently parted ways with the UFC. The win against Chavez Jr. has opened new doors for Silva including, a boxing fight against fellow UFC legend Ortiz.
It is hard to predict how Ortiz will perform in his transition to boxing. With that being said, we have evidence of how solid Silva can be for his age. A win against Ortiz will continue to build hype around the resurgence of Silva as a boxer. We have seen the number of retired fighters returning to get paid, and Silva has a lot of marketability behind him. People can hate all they want, but bigger names will continue to offer Silva contracts as he keeps winning. With a win over Ortiz, the options are endless for his next opponent.
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