A pair of former champions square off when boxing legend Evander Holyfield takes on former MMA star Vitor Belfort in the headliner boxing match on Saturday. Belfort, 44, was originally set to take on Oscar De La Hoya, but De La Hoya was forced to withdraw from the event after testing positive for COVID-19. Holyfield, 58, stepped in to fill the role.
The main card is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET with the headliners expected to reach the ring by around 10 p.m. ET. The promotion moved the event from Staples Center in Los Angeles to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Both fighters are priced at -115 (risk $115 to win $100) in the latest Holyfield vs. Belfort odds. Before making any Holyfield vs. Belfort picks, make sure you check out the expert boxing predictions from SportsLine combat sports analyst Brandon Wise.
Wise, who is the combat sports editor for CBS Sports, is an experienced boxing analyst. His strong 2021 boxing record includes nailing the outcome of the much-anticipated fight between Jake Paul and Ben Askren. Wise told SportsLine members to expect an early knockout from Paul (-170), who delivered with a first-round overhand right against the hapless Askren (+150), who visibly stumbled after taking the referee’s count.
Wise also has been on point with his UFC predictions. He called Israel Adesanya by decision at +140 and Brandon Moreno to win outright at +190 at UFC 263 earlier this summer. Anyone who has followed Wise’s combat sports picks has seen massive returns.
Now, with Saturday’s showdown fast approaching, Wise has studied Holyfield vs. Belfort from every angle, identified the best value in the boxing odds and released his highly confident Belfort vs. Holyfield picks. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of Wise’s expert boxing picks.
Holyfield vs. Belfort preview
Wise notes that neither fighter has boxed in a very long time with both coming out of retirement. Belfort, who is 1-0 in his pro boxing career, last boxed in April 2006, when he knocked out Josemario Neves in 1:01 of the first round. He has been training for this event when it was originally announced he would meet De La Hoya.
Belfort, who is a former UFC Heavyweight Tournament champion, former UFC light heavyweight champion, and Cage Rage world light heavyweight champion, has lost three of his last five MMA events, which also included a no-contest. His last win was at UFC 212 in June 2017 when he won by unanimous decision over Nate Marquardt. In his last fight in May 2018, he was knocked out by Lyoto Machida at UFC 224. He announced his retirement after the bout.
Holyfield has not been in the ring for over a decade. In his last fight in May 2011, he knocked out Brian Nielsen at 2:49 of the 10th round. He went 6-2-1 in his final nine bouts before announcing his retirement. Holyfield won the WBF heavyweight title at age 47 in 2010.
For his career, Holyfield posted 44 wins against 10 losses with two draws and one no contest. He was the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in the late 1980s and was the heavyweight champion in the early 1990s. Holyfield is still the only boxer to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes in the three-belt era.
How to make Holyfield vs. Belfort picks
Wise has made the call on which fighter wins, and has locked in a strong pick on a method of victory prop. You can see all of his Holyfield vs. Belfort picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Who wins Holyfield vs. Belfort? And which prop is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Brandon Wise’s best bets for Saturday, all from the CBS combat sports specialist who was all over Jake Paul’s win over Ben Askren earlier this year, and find out.
