By Lem Satterfield

According to manager Ken Saunders, former four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is planning to fight again in October. A deal is close for the match to take place at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. An opponent has yet to be determined. If all goes well, Holyfield would return to action in January.

Holyfield, who turns 48 on October 19, scored his 28th knockout in March in the eighth round over 41-year-old Francois Botha at Las Vegas' Thomas and Mack Center, earning the fringe WBF crown.

"We're trying to complete the deal for Detroit in October at the Joe Louis Arena. We haven't finalized it yet, because we're trying to get the details worked out. We haven't finalized the opponent, even though we have someone targeted, let's put it that way," said Saunders.

"We don't want to put it in the story yet because we haven't negotiated with the opponent yet. We haven't gotten the final date and the figures on it yet, but it's pretty much settled on the site. If we win this, we hope to have a title shot sometime after Jan. 1."

The goal is for Holyfield to land a fight with WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko in the first half of 2011. Saunders had conversations about the fight with WBC president Jose Sulaiman, who promised that he would sanction the match.

"The first part of next year, we hope that, the way that things are going, that he will be able to fight one of the Klitschkos," said Sanders. "Hopefully, it will be Vitali. I've already talked to Jose Sulaiman, and he's already said that he would approve him to fight."

Lem Satterfield is the boxing editor at AOL FanHouse and the news editor at BoxingScene.com. To read more from Lem Satterfield, go to AOL FanHouse by Clicking Here.