De La Hoya tests positive; Belfort-Holyfield on tap
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Mike CoppingerESPN
Oscar De La Hoya announced from a hospital bed that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t be able to fight former UFC champion Vitor Belfort on Sept. 11 in a Triller Fight Club PPV.
The Hall of Fame boxer was set to compete for the first since a December 2008 TKO loss to Manny Pacquiao.
Triller’s Ryan Kavanaugh told ESPN that Evander Holyfield has agreed to terms to step in and fight Belfort. Holyfield is 58 and hasn’t fought since a 2011 TKO victory over Brian Nielsen.
Kavanaugh said the contracts call for pro-fight rules contested over eight two-minute rounds. De La Hoya-Belfort was set to take place at Staples Center in Los Angeles (where De La Hoya was born and still resides), but Triller plans to hold Holyfield-Belfort at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, sources told ESPN.
The California State Athletic Commission refused to sanction Holyfield-Belfort, sources told ESPN’s Marc Raimondi.
“Heavyweight fights are always the most exciting clashes, and this is a heavyweight fight between two true warriors,” Kavanaugh said. “We really wish Oscar a speedy recovery, he’s a champion and a warrior; we know he’ll fight this and win. We look forward to seeing him in the ring on the anniversary of Fight Club’s launch.”
Triller Fight Club debuted in November with the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. exhibition event, a commercial success. Kavanaugh said they are currently seeking out opponents for De La Hoya to fight on Thanksgiving Weekend.
The entire undercard, including the David Haye-Joe Fournier exhibition bout, will move to Florida, Kavanaugh said.
Holyfield (44-10-2, 29 KOs) is one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He owns two wins over Mike Tyson and a victory over George Foreman. Known for his fighting spirit, the Atlanta resident is one of the most beloved fighters of all time. Holyfield signed to fight Kevin McBride on Triller Fight Club earlier this year but the bout was scrapped due to medical concerns regarding McBride. McBride, 48, was deemed a +6 on the Boxing Severity Index by the California State Athletic Commission, a high-risk boxer.
Belfort, 44, will be boxing for the second time in his career. His pro boxing debut came in 2006, a first-round KO in Brazil.
The Brazilian is a former UFC light heavyweight champion who owns a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Carlson Gracie. Belfort also owns a black belt in judo. Known for his explosive power, he’s tied for the third-most finishes in UFC history with 14. Belfort’s third run with UFC ended in 2018, a KO loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 224.
For the first time since the turn of the century, MLB’s All-Star Game will be held in Atlanta — the first ever at Truist Park since its opening in 2017.
All-Star festivities begin July 11 and culminate in the Midsummer Classic on July 15, as the National League looks to gain just its second win since 2013 while the American League aims to extend its dominance.
Following the first phase of All-Star voting, we know the top overall vote-getters in each league — Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani — automatically earned the starting spot at their positions, outfield and designated hitter, respectively. Now, the starting lineups have been revealed, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers leading the way each with three starters, followed by the Chicago Cubs with two. Four players named as starters — Cal Raleigh, Jacob Wilson, Ryan O’Hearn and Pete Crow-Armstrong — are first-time All-Stars.
Stay tuned, as we’ll have everything you need to navigate All-Star Week — from event schedules and full rosters to All-Star Game analysis.
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All-Star schedule
(All times ET)
July 2: MLB All-Star starters reveal at 7 p.m. on ESPN
July 6: MLB All-Star full rosters announced at 5 p.m. on ESPN
July 11: HBCU Swingman Classic at 8 p.m. on MLB Network
July 13: MLB Draft at 6 p.m. on ESPN and MLB Network
July 14: MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game at 1 p.m. on MLB Network
July 14: MLB Home Run Derby at 8 p.m. on ESPN
July 15: All-Star Red Carpet Show at 2 p.m. on MLB Network
July 15: MLB All-Star Game at 7 p.m. on FOX
The Texas Rangers reinstated first baseman Jake Burger from the 10-day injured list before Wednesday night’s series finale against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
Burger, 29, missed the Rangers’ past 10 games with a left oblique strain. He is batting .220 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs in 65 games this season, his first with Texas.
Burger is a career .246 hitter with 82 home runs and 214 RBIs in 409 games with the Chicago White Sox (2021-23), Miami Marlins (2023-24) and Rangers.
The Rangers optioned All-Star third baseman Josh Jung to Triple-A Round Rock in a corresponding move. Jung, 27, is batting .237 with eight homers and 35 RBIs in 75 games this season.
Jung is hitting .152 with one homer, eight RBIs and 13 strikeouts in his last 11 games.
Drafted No. 8 overall by Texas in 2019, Jung made the American League All-Star team in 2023 and is a career .252 hitter with 43 home runs and 135 RBIs in 269 games.
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