Vitor Belfort Blasts Critics Of Evander Holyfield Boxing Match

Former UFC Champion Vitor Belfort fired back at people who were quick to criticize his boxing match with all-time great Evander Holyfield. The Triller event was heavily criticized by analysts and pundits across the sport as well as current and former fighters.

Holyfield was finished in the first round by Belfort with strikes and plenty of people were critical of the sanctioning of a 58 year old Holyfield getting in the ring with someone of Belfort’s stature.

Belfort spoke to AG Fight in a recent interview, where he blasted the critics of the fight.

“He (Holyfield) tried to rip my head off, he knocked himself out at one point and got such a cross that he fell to the canvas by himself. If I don’t dodge my head would be rolling on the floor. Then people criticize that I was very, very roasted. I’m not worried about that. I beat the most powerful heavyweight in history, who beat Mike Tyson. Unfortunately, the ‘haters’ will be there to criticize you. If I fight a guy over 50 is it worth it? If I win they will criticize. The animal was too strong, he is a horse and he was boxing well and I was very precise. Nobody talks about my accuracy, how good I was. They talk about how bad he was. He wasn’t bad, I demolished him,” Belfort said.

“I was cautious, I started slowly, but when he came up with it, I had my time. When you smell blood, it’s time to hunt. It would be unnecessary (if the referee lets it go on longer), given his age. He took a lot of uppercut blow to the chin. The first one got really strong. Then there were other blows. But as many people think they are the other’s head, so let it die. It’s part of it.”

While Belfort has a good point, the critics of the Triller event and a fight with a 58 year old Holyfield were rightly justified as he looked old and slow, and someone that already has had significant damage to the head in his career.

What do you think of Vitor Belfort’s comments? Did you think this fight should’ve happened?