58-year-old Evander Holyfield addresses health concerns of boxing return: 'I've been taking care of my body'

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Evander Holyfield will step in the ring this Saturday while being a little over a year away from his 60th birthday.

The multiple-time boxing heavyweight champion returns to action this Saturday, Sept. 11 against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort in the main event of Triller Fight Club Legends II. The fight goes down at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Holyfield is coming back after a decade away from the sport. He walked away from boxing on a win back in 2011. He was 48. And although Holyfield appears to be in great physical shape, many online have concerns about a return to competition at this stage of his life.

Holyfield said he’s taken care of his health and believes this return could show younger fighters the importance of self-care.

“Well, the thing is that I’ve been in good shape and I’ve been taking care of my body,” Holyfield told MMA Junkie. “I didn’t have a lot of bad habits that a lot of people have and that’s a big part of it. Talking to the younger people, you take care of yourself while you’re young and when you get older still take care of yourself. If you take care of yourself on both sides you’ll be alright.”

Holyfield takes on Belfort on short notice, as he replaced Oscar De La Hoya, who had to withdraw from the Belfort bout after getting hospitalized from COVID-19.

“The Real Deal” is unsure if this fight will be his last, but will treat it as such.

“This is like a one-off because after every fight I’m like, ‘I don’t know,'” Holyfield said. “After each and every fight you have to make a decision: Are you going to do it again or not?’ At any given time if I decided I don’t want to do it no more, it’s O.K.”