Evander Holyfield looked his age and worse during his first action in the boxing ring in ten years.
The former world champion boxer stepped back in the ring for the first time in over a decade, but it didn’t go quite to plan for the 58-year-old. Holyfield suffered a first-round technical knockout to former UFC fighter Vitor Belfort on Saturday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Florida.
Having not landed a punch of his own, Holyfield was knocked to the canvas twice before the referee called an end to the fight in the first round. He returned to boxing with just over a week’s notice to replace Oscar De La Hoya, who contracted Covid-19.
After the fight, boxing insider Dan Rafael seemingly implied that Holyfield had a huge payday.
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“Did you see what he did to me? He tried to knock me out,” Belfort told ESPN when asked if he felt remorse for Holyfield considering his advanced age. “He threw a hard cross and hard hooks. Instincts are hard, and instincts kick back.
“He came very hard in the beginning. It’s a fight. He’s a legend. … My style has always been like that.”
Holyfield only landed one punch.
