The sports combat league is getting back in the ring this weekend with a four-fight telecast featuring legendary heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield taking on former UFC champ Vitor Belfort.
“Triller Fight Club Legends II” takes place this Saturday, Sept. 11, in Hollywood, Florida — bringing with it a massive card filled with not only four-time heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holyfield taking on UFC counterpart Vitor Belfort, but also a first-of-its-kind pay-per-view boxing clash between MMA legends Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz.
And that’s just the entertainment in the ring.
Former President Donald Trump, and his son, Donald Trump Jr., are scheduled to serve as guest commentators for the evening event on an alternate audio feed. 50 Cent and UFC star Jorge Masdival are also expected to drop in at the broadcast booth.
It’s going to be a night of fists, firsts, and formers, with the added bonus of two-division world champion David Haye taking on Joe Fournier on the undercard.
All told, we could be in store for a few unforgettable moments inside the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Ahead of Saturday’s bang-bang spectacle, let’s ponder a few what-ifs for this exclusive PPV on FITE TV, which is available at a cost of $49.99.
Can Holyfield Trump Belfort?
He ‘s 58. He hasn’t fought since May 2011. And he wasn’t even supposed to be in this fight up until a few weeks ago.
Even still — Evander Holyfield agreed to take on the short-notice fight against the 44-year-old Belfort as part of an ongoing contract with Triller that reportedly has the former champ making a $5 million payday.
The fight, which was originally sanctioned in California, was supposed to feature Belfort fighting former boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya. A positive COVID-19 for De La Hoya, however, pushed organizers to pursue Holyfield as a last-minute replacement.
Holyfield, whose career record is 44-10-2, with 29 KOs, had been training for a comeback fight against MIkeTyson, but that fight ultimately fell through after Tyson pulled out in the midst of a legal standoff with Triller.
Belfort, whose MMA record is 26-14 with one no-contest and 18 KOs, last fought in MMA in 2018. The Brazilian champ will be boxing for just the second time as a pro looking to add to a humble 1-0 record.
The fight is set for eight two-minute rounds. Oddsmakers have Holyfield as the favorite in this one, though potential concerns remain about whether someone pushing the age of 60 should be taking shots to the head for the first time in nearly a decade.
If this fight isn’t the real deal, the next best thing may be co-main event between Silva and Ortiz.
Will the Spider Beat the Bad Boy?
Despite the potential for a far more lucrative fight against Jake Paul, Anderson ‘Spider’ Silva will instead get it on with “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz in the latter’s first-ever professional boxing match.
While both were undoubtedly legends in the UFC octagon, neither knows his way around the boxing ring with nearly the same familiarity.
Silva, 46, holds a MMA record of 34-11 with 23 knockouts — not all of which were with his hands. A skilled martial artist, Silva held the UFC middleweight championship belt from 2006-13. His last MMA fight came in 2020.
While his MMA days may be behind him, Silva has seen some recent success in professional boxing. Despite being knocked out in his first fight in 1998, Silva has won two in a row since — most notably a win in June where he beat former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a remarkable split-decision victory.
Ortiz, who’s also 46-years-old, is 21-12 in his MMA career with 10 KOs.
More of a wrestler by training, Ortiz was the UFC light heavyweight champion from 2000-03. His last MMA fight was a win via submission in 2019 against longtime rival Chuck Liddell, but he holds no pro boxing experience whatsoever.
Bookmakers are giving a significant edge to Silva in this boxing bout, with some sportsbooks approaching -1500 odds.
What’s at Stake on Saturday Night?
While it’s unclear just how much each fighter in Saturday’s spectacle will earn for taking part, performances in a Triller event have proven as big paydays for past participants.
Ben Askren and Jake Paul each pulled in no less than half a million bucks in salary in their fight earlier this year in April.
The Triller fight featuring Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. earned each fighter more than $1 million, and the pay-per-view itself brought in more than $80 million in revenue.
With 1.6 million pay-per-view buys, that fight reportedly ranks among the top 10 combat sports events.
So, with not two, but four, notable names fighting in Saturday night’s main events, not to mention the ringside spectacle that’s sure to take place, it’s easy to see just how Triller may walk away from this weekend with another big win — and another chunk of PPV change in the bank.
