Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson 2 bite × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout Pro Boxing News

Did Evander Holyfield headbutt Mike Tyson in the infamous Bite Fight in 1997

By Josh Evanoff Modified 21 Sep 2022 Follow Us Comment Share Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson rematched in 1997. Evander Holyfield headbutted Mike Tyson in their famous 'Bite Fight' rematch. 'The Real Deal' and 'Iron Mike' first faced off in November 1996. Heading into the contest, the latter had only lost once and was a giant favorite. However, Holyfield flipped the script and earned an 11th-round TKO victory to become WBA Heavyweight champion. Seven months later, the two men faced off at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, the same place they had fought previously in. Early on, it was apparent that Holyfield was a bad stylistic matchup for Tyson. In addition to jumping out to an early lead, the champion also landed some shots that weren't exactly legal. In the second round, Holyfield headbutted Tyson, causing a big cut. This angered the contender as he had complained about illegal strikes in the first fight as well. In round three, Mike Tyson decided to act rashly. The former champion bit his foe's ear near the end of the round, taking out a chunk of cartilage. The referee disqualified Tyson and called a close to the matchup. 25 years later, Tyson's bite remains etched in the populace's memory. DAZN Boxing@DAZNBoxing 24 years ago today, Mike Tyson bites Evander Holyfield’s ear in the rematch.

1897430 24 years ago today, Mike Tyson bites Evander Holyfield’s ear in the rematch. https://t.co/Hvgey8SZEn

Mike Tyson discusses biting Evander Holyfield in the rematch

Mike Tyson has previously confirmed that he bit Evander Holyfield due to unpenalizied headbutts. Throughout his career, 'The Real Deal' had various opponents, such as Hasim Rahman, complaining about illegal strikes. However, Holyfield's headbutts were never penalized. Boxing History@BoxingHistoryHORRIFIC INJURY - Hasim Rahman suffers a severe hematoma on his forehead from a headbutt against Evander @holyfield #boxing #history3122HORRIFIC INJURY - Hasim Rahman suffers a severe hematoma on his forehead from a headbutt against Evander @holyfield #boxing #history https://t.co/H0nHH57vyW In their first encounter, 'Iron Mike' complained to the media and referee that he was hit with illegal strikes. Those complaints were overshadowed by the fact that he was later knocked out in the 11th round of the contest. For the rematch, Tyson was seemingly on his toes and already upset heading into the encounter. In a post-fight interview, the heavyweight legend confirmed that the reason he bit Holyfield was due to his unpenalized strikes. Following the iconic 1997 rematch, Mike Tyson stated:"He [head]butted me in the second round, and he looked at me and butted me again. No one deducted points. This is my career. What am I supposed to do? I've got children to raise. He kept butting me." Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Virat Deswal × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular ‍ Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeScheduleT20 World CupT20 warm upIND vs SAENG vs PAKAUS vs ENGLegends LeagueECS T10 CroatiaWBBL 2022ECC T10SMAT 2022Bukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022ECT10 FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Crown Jewel 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxFree PicksSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी