Evander Holyfield plans to step in the ring as a replacement for Oscar De La Hoya to box Vitor Belfort in the main event of Triller Fight Club’s card on Sept. 11.

Today the news came that boxing legend and multi-division champion De La Hoya had to withdraw due to a positive COVID-19 test. De La Hoya’s last fight came in 2008.

Evander Holyfield replacement for COVID positive Oscar De La Hoya

Triller Fight Club, the promotion that backed Jake Paul’s breakthrough bout, is promoting this card and was also the promoter behind Holyfield’s twice-delayed fight with Kevin McBride. So moving the heavyweight great and two-division champion into this slot was a reasonable fix for the fledgling boxing organization.

Holyfield, 58, is 44-10-2 in his illustrious career but retired in 2014. He held titles over three decades in the sport — 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s — and was part of record-setting pay-per-view bouts with another icon of the squared circle in Mike Tyson.

Holyfield’s place on the card next Saturday must be approved by the state of California.

–Field Level Media