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This new genre of novelty boxing matches — fights between celebrities, legends and social-media influencers — has been one of the most popular things in combat sports over the last year. Mike Tyson and Ron Jones Jr. set the stage last November, and the trend has continued to gain momentum since then. Despite some big fights between some of the best fighters in the sport, the Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul exhibition is the biggest boxing pay-per-view event of 2021 so far. Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley last month could end up being second.

But if people are going to continue plunking down their hard-earned money to buy these shows, there needs to be an adequate payoff. That was missing Saturday night with the unfortunate bout and finish between Vitor Belfort and Evander Holyfield match under the Triller Fight Club banner in Hollywood, Florida. Belfort earned a first-round TKO victory over Holyfield in a fight where Holyfield landed only one punch.

Simply, and with all due respect to a legendary boxer, the 58-year-old Holyfield should not have been in the ring Saturday night. He came in on just a week’s notice after Belfort’s original opponent, Oscar De La Hoya, was hospitalized with COVID-19. The fight was originally scheduled to happen in Los Angeles, but the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) would not approve Belfort vs. Holyfield, so the entire event got moved to Florida and a more amenable commission.

“I was not agreeable with the match based on a variety of regulatory factors and we did not have adequate time for [Holyfield] to go through an extensive licensing process,” CSAC executive officer Andy Foster said.

De La Hoya vs. Belfort was on the borderline of combat sports regulation. The two men were in the same age range — De La Hoya is 48 and Belfort 44 — and De La Hoya was a phenomenal boxer before his retirement in 2008. Belfort is an MMA fighter who is tied for the most knockouts in UFC history, but doesn’t have any recent experience in the squared circle. The one thing anyone who has followed Belfort’s career knows about him is that he has hand speed and pop in his punches.

But Holyfield? Sure, he looked shredded from a pure appearance perspective, especially for his age. But that’s where the positive optics ended. The buzz this week in South Florida was less about the fight and more about Holyfield struggling in interviews and looking like a shell of his former incredible self in a public workout.

Holyfield was not sandbagging in that workout, and what many people thought would happen Saturday night did indeed happen.

Early in the first round, the only boxer in the three-belt era to become an undisputed champion in two divisions slipped on a left hook attempt and fell along the apron, between the bottom two ropes. It was difficult to watch. Belfort followed with a couple of punching flurries, scoring a knockdown.

Holyfield got up, but was doing little more than eating punches (some on his gloves). Referee Samuel Burgos mercifully stepped in. Holyfield argued that it was an early stoppage when most watching probably thought it should have been over sooner.

Holyfield seemed fine after the fight during an interview with the broadcast team, but on a negative note, he said he wants to fight again, and he’s still interested in a rematch with Mike Tyson.

At some point, someone needs to step in and advise against it. No one wants to tell a grown man he cannot make a living, but boxing is not a game. There are real, lasting ramifications, and everyone involved is lucky Belfort vs. Holyfield did not end up worse. That might not be the case next time.

Belfort called out Jake Paul in his postfight interview, with Triller putting up a winner-take-all prize of $30 million. UFC all-time great Anderson Silva likely has a big payday awaiting him following his devastating knockout of fellow MMA legend Tito Ortiz on the undercard.

That’s all well and good. There is nothing wrong with fighters getting paid to compete against opponents of a similar skill level and size. As long as people are willing to pay for them, these events will continue on. But there’s just no good reason for a nearly 60-year-old man to be taking punches to the head from a younger, faster, more explosive opponent.

Everyone involved — commissions, promoters, coaches and the fighters themselves — need to exercise discretion as we move forward, because combat sports as we know it could be hanging in the balance.

All that needs to happen is for one fighter to get seriously injured — or worse — in one of these novelty matchups, and the consequences could lead to the entirety of combat sports facing a reckoning.

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2025 MLB All-Star Game: Everything you need to know

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2025 MLB All-Star Game: Everything you need to know

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.

Vote for the All-Star starters: All-Star Ballot 2025

Latest news and analysis

How does MLB All-Star voting work?

2025 MLB All-Star roster predictions, biggest debates

Which slugger will win the HR Derby? Breaking down the field

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

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Rangers activate Burger from IL, demote Jung

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Rangers activate Burger from IL, demote Jung

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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Outfielder Pillar retires after 13-year career

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Outfielder Pillar retires after 13-year career

Kevin Pillar, an outfielder who spent the majority of his 13-year major league career with the Toronto Blue Jays, announced his retirement on Wednesday.

Pillar confirmed his decision during an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast, about a month after he was released by the Texas Rangers. After rehabilitating from offseason thumb surgery, Pillar played in 20 games for the Rangers – his 10th major league team – with nine hits in 43 at-bats.

Pillar, 36, was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 32nd round in 2011 and made his debut in 2013. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants early in the 2019 season, which was his best in the big leagues. He batted .264 with 21 home runs, 87 RBI and 14 steals for the Giants that year, before signing with the Boston Red Sox in 2020.

“You will always be our Superman,” the Blue Jays said in a congratulatory social media post.

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