Derik Santos, the trainer for former UFC world champion Vitor Belfort, expects a more dangerous opponent when his fighter collides with former undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield on Saturday night in Hollywood, Florida.
Belfort was originally scheduled to face six division champion Oscar De La Hoya.
Last week, De La Hoya withdrew from the fight after revealing that he tested positive for COVID-19.
Belfort was going to have a solid size advantage in facing De La Hoya at a catch-weight of 185-pounds.
Against Holyfield, however, Belfort is going to be the smaller man.
The 58-year-old Holyfield is going to fight for the first time since 2011.
Santos admits their entire game plan is being revised, on a few day's notice, as the coach puts together a strategy to topple a Hall of Fame great.
"As far as Holyfield goes, his was a name that was thrown around before. He was an option for Vitor before. And he's a big man, he is a very big man. Over the last couple of years I actually befriended him. He's a good guy. I've always had great respect and admiration for him. We go from one hall of famer to literally and figuratively a bigger hall of famer. So it's a challenge for sure and Holyfield has done a great job keeping himself in shape. I’ve marveled at the shape he’s in. I've been to his residence. He eats healthy. He's not one of those who lays around eating McDonalds. He's always been a healthy individual," Santos told Vegas Insider.
"I don't really know what to expect. I've seen videos of him training with John David Jackson. I know he has been training, I know he has been working out and looking for a fight. It's going to be interesting, it's a different type of fight to Oscar. He's much bigger than Vitor. Not only height but bodywise. The main difference is Oscar is more mobile and we were expecting a different type of movement. We had worked on different ways to cut off the ring. With Holyfield it's going to be more of a dangerous, straight up fight. He's a large man, I'm sure he can still punch. So we'll see how we go about dealing with that.
"Vitor was already down in weight, and the great Evander Holyfield, I guarantee you, will likely be somewhere between 225-240 pounds - that’s a big difference. Vitor was under the 200 pound limit already, as the fight with Oscar was going to be 185 pounds. So we are already in the 190s. Vitor is excited to fight a hall of famer, Vitor says let's fight, that's his take. He's ready, willing and able. As a coach I'm a little more stoic. Even my thought process of how to fight Evander Holyfield - that plan hasn't altogether unfolded in my head yet."
