Outside Source
Oscar De La Hoya has tested positive for
COVID-19 and will NOT be fighting Vitor Belfort on September 11 …
and Evander Holyfield will be taking his spot. https://t.co/r2ejzw5nOc— TMZ (@TMZ)
September 3, 2021
If you had Vitor
Belfort vs. Evander Holyfield on your 2021 betting slip, cash
that ticket now.
Ex-Ultimate Fighting Championship champ Belfort
(26-14, 1 NC; 1-0 Box) was slated to take on Oscar De La Hoya
(39-6, 30 KOs Box) on Sept. 11. The two were planning to square off
inside the Staples Center in Los Angeles in an eight-round,
185-pound professional affair. Per
TMZ on Friday, that fight is off as De La Hoya tested positive
for COVID-19. In his stead will be long-retired heavyweight champ
Evander Holyfield (44-10-2, 1 NC, 29 KOs Box). The dramatic change
has since been confirmed by ESPN.
Holyfield, age 58, will be stepping into the ring for the first
time in over 10 years. “The Real Deal” was linked to an exhibition
pairing with Kevin McBride in April, but the matchup fell through
several times before getting scrubbed entirely. The legend began
his career at 28-0 with 22 knockouts, and captured the WBA, WBC and
IBF heavyweight straps on his way up. Although he was derailed by
Riddick Bowe in 1992, he avenged the defeat a year later and
competed at the highest level for several more years. Perhaps most
famous in his run are his encounters with Mike Tyson, where he
knocked out “Iron Mike” and then had part of his ear bitten off in
the rematch.
Belfort vs. De La Hoya was booked at 185 pounds, and it is likely
that the weight category will be shifted to heavyweight to
accommodate the formerly retired Holyfield. The California State
Athletic Commission still has yet to clear Holyfield to compete,
and Triller plans on relocating the Sept. 11 fight card to Florida
should Holyfield not receive the necessary clearances, in a move
reminiscent of UFC 232 shifting from Las Vegas to Los Angeles in
2018.
Wanted you to hear directly from me that
despite being fully vaccinated, I have contracted Covid and am not
going to be able to fight next weekend. Preparing for this comeback
has been everything to me over the last months, & I want to thank
everyone for their tremendous support. pic.twitter.com/0wKEnr5Jzv— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya)
September 3, 2021
Shortly after the news broke, De La Hoya posted a video from the
hospital confirming that he came down with COVID-19 despite being
vaccinated.
“I mean, what are the chances of me getting COVID,” a breathless De
La Hoya remarked. “I’ve been taking care of myself, and…this
really really kicked my ass.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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