Evander Holyfield is a legend in boxing, not just for his ability but also his longevity.
Ranked as one of the best Heavyweight fighters of all time, Evander Holyfield has beaten some of the best boxers of all time.
He holds victories over huge names like Mike Tyson and George Foreman while being the only man to hold the world heavyweight championship four times.
From an incredible professional career that spanned from 1984 to 2011, Holyfield remained competitive well into his 40s, even winning the world championship in a shocking fashion at the age of 47.
Evander Holyfield beat Francois Botha by TKO to win his final world championship
On April 10, 2010, Holyfield rolled back the years as he stepped into the ring with Francois Botha in a bout to decide the new Heavyweight Champion.
Botha had recently vacated the WBF Heavyweight belt after failing to defend the title, with this fight being the second in a row for the unattached belt following a draw with Pedro Carrion.
The vacant championship was up for grabs as the 47-year-old Holyfield fought the 41-year-old Botha in Nevada, with the bout being moved from the originally planned venue in Uganda.
The two veteran fighters fought an even fight. The judges scored a close fight which saw Holyfield the more aggressive of the two, taking some big hits from Botha as the South African controlled the early rounds of the fight.
However, Holyfield grew into the fight and sought to tire out his opponent, punching wildly and committing to body shots. Despite the weight disadvantage, the American knocked Botha down first with a huge right hand in the eighth round.
The South African fell through the ropes but quickly made it back to his feet before the referee called off the fight, giving Holyfield his final world title win at the age of 47.
Given his age and the 30lbs he was giving up to Botha during the fight, getting a knockout four rounds before the end didn’t seem likely. However, a timeless talent like Holyfield had no issue proving the doubters wrong in Nevada that night.
Holyfield’s final fight came under bizarre circumstances at the age of 58
The “Real Deal” would fight twice more in his professional boxing career, ending with a TKO victory over Brian Nielson.
However, he would end his career as a fighter completely with a last-minute exhibition fight against MMA fighter Vitor Belfort. Belfort was supposed to fight Oscar De La Hoya but the Mexican fighter was forced to pull out due to COVID-19
The 58-year-old Holyfield stepped in a decade after his last professional fight to take on the man 14 years his junior.
Sadly, it didn’t go well for the former World Heavyweight Champion. Holyfield was knocked out in the first round, being knocked down before his defensive struggles saw the referee call off the fight and award Belfort the victory.