Holyfield calls 1st-round TKO defeat a 'bad call'

MIAMI • Former heavyweight world champion Evander Holyfield looked all of his 58 years in a first-round technical-knockout loss to mixed martial arts (MMA) star Vitor Belfort on Saturday.

With former United States president Donald Trump providing ringside commentary for the spectacle at Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida, Brazilian Belfort unleashed an early flurry that ended with his American opponent slipping through the ropes.

Holyfield regained his feet only to be sent to the canvas by a combination from Belfort, 44.

He beat the count, but after he absorbed another flurry of blows without throwing any, the referee stopped the fight despite Holyfield's objections.

Calling the decision to stop the fight "kind of sad", the veteran said: "I wasn't hurt. It is what it is. I think it's a bad call."

Holyfield was fighting for the first time since he defeated Brian Nielsen in 2011 to cap a glorious ring career.

He won the 1984 Olympic bronze medal as a light heavyweight and went on to dominate the cruiserweight division before entering prize fighting lore as a heavyweight.

Holyfield is best known for a championship heavyweight run that included two wins over Mike Tyson, one of them the infamous "Bite Fight", a win over George Foreman, and one victory over Riddick Bowe in their punishing trilogy.

He accepted the Belfort fight on eight days' notice as a stand-in after fellow boxing great Oscar de la Hoya tested positive for Covid-19.

While Holyfield claimed he was ready, having been preparing for a proposed comeback bout against Kevin McBride that did not come off, and was physically in shape, he was made to look his age by Belfort - whose last MMA fight was in 2018.

Trump, who tirelessly boosted Holyfield throughout his undercard commentary, seemed taken aback by the sluggish display.

"No, he's not the same," he said. "Right from the beginning, he was not the same fighter. He lost a lot. It was not Evander Holyfield."

Trump received a rapturous welcome from fans at the Florida venue, where he arrived after visiting New York on the 20th anniversary of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks.

He got in a dig at US President Joe Biden and a plug for his friend and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White in commentary alongside his son Donald Trump Jr.

"It's like elections, it could be rigged, too," Trump said.

Belfort later called out YouTuber Jake Paul, with social video app Triller offering US$30 million (S$40.3 million) to make the fight happen. He said: "Hey, Jake Paul, stop running from me, you little b****. I'm going to teach you a lesson. You can be my kid, you're going to meet daddy over here."

Paul has been the talk of boxing of late after recording two big-money wins over former UFC stars Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley.

On the undercard, former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva scored a first-round knockout over former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.

"This fight I thought was amazing, even though it was very short," Trump said. "We didn't have to wait around all night long."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE