Vitor Belfort beats Evander Holyfield down in sad sight (video)

Vitor Belfort beat up Evander Holyfield in a hard fight to watch. Belfort stopped Holyfield in round 1, which shows Holyfield shouldn’t have fought. 

Former boxing heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield returned to the ring on the Sept. 11 Triller Fight Club main event against Vitor Belfort. It was a sad display that should have never happened.

Holyfield filled in for Oscar De La Hoya on short notice after De La Hoya tested positive for COVID-19. Holyfield had been training for a return to the ring and had been cleared by the Florida State Athletic Commission, which is a crime in itself.

Belfort had one professional bout back in 2006 but made his bones in the UFC as an MMA fighter. He last competed in MMA back in 2018, but at 44 years old, he was 14 years younger than the 58-year-old Holyfield.

Nobody beats time, not even an in-shape, former heavyweight champion.

Vitor Belfort smashed Evander Holyfield in round 1 of their Triller Fight Club bout

Holyfield looked physically strong, but his speed and reaction time were weathered by the passage of time.

In round 1, Holyfield landed a couple of right hands, but then Belfort rushed Holyfield. He mauled him with a series of combinations that sent Holyfield down. It was ruled a slip, but Holyfield went down again from a legit combination.

Holyfield got to his feet but was taking a lot of damage. The referee stopped the fight with 10 seconds left in round 1, giving Belfort the TKO victory.

Triller deserves a lot of criticism for the decision to put Holyfield in the ring. Their ploy to gain attention with shock value went too far and put a former champion in harm’s way.

Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort took place on Sept. 11, live from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. Follow along with FanSided for all your live news and highlights.