The former undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield made his boxing return last week against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort at Triller PPV show on September 11 in an exhibition bout. Holyfield stepped in on short notice after initial opponent Oscar De La Hoya pulled out of the bout following testing positive for the dreaded coronavirus.
Needless to say, not a lot of boxing fans were happy with Evander Holyfield returning to the boxing ring at 58 years of age. The common narrative going around is that Holyfield needed money, and despite the age nad health concerns, made the walk to get some extra paycheck. So how much did Evander Holyfield make for his boxing return against Vitor Belfort?
What was Evander Holyfield’s fight purse against Vitor Belfort?
Evander Holyfield took home a whopping $500,000 for his fight against Vitor Belfort on September 11 at Triller PPV. He also took home a fair share of sponsorship money. However, we are unsure whether Holyfield will receive a cut from the PPV money. Holyfield lost the bout via stoppage in the first round, with many fearing for the former champion’s health after the unfortunate stoppage. The bout marked the first time Holyfield was stopped in a boxing bout in almost two decades.
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The last time Evander Holyfield was stopped inside the boxing ring was against James Toney back in October of 2003. Holyfield competed in boxing till the age of 48 years, with his last professional bout coming against Brian Nielsen back in May of 2011.
Meanwhile, Vitor Belfort took home a whopping $400,000 for his appearance against Evander Holyfield. Initially scheduled to take on Oscar De La Hoya, former UFC champion Vitor Belfort accepted to fight Evander Holyfield on short notice. In the lead up to the fight, Holyfield had expressed his desire to face former foe Mike Tyson.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson made his boxing return in an exhibition bout against former multi-division champion Roy Jones Jr. Should Evander Holyfield return to boxing? What did you make of his boxing return? Do let us know in the comments section.
