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
Editor’s note: The article has been updated at 6 p.m. ET on
Sept. 3 to reflect a new location and venue for the match.
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 as a professional
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 the weight
category will be shifted to heavyweight to accommodate the formerly
retired Holyfield. The California State Athletic Commission has not
cleared Holyfield to compete, and Triller will be relocating the
Sept. 11 fight card to Florida, in a move reminiscent of UFC 232
shifting from Las Vegas to Los Angeles in 2018. Per
ESPN, the event will not longer be inside the Staples Center in
Los Angeles, and instead will take place at the Hard Rock Live in
Hollywood, Fla. Every fight billed at this show will be shifted to
this new location.
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.”