Who is UFC legend Vitor Belfort fighting in a Triller boxing match in June 2021?
UFC legend Vitor Belfort will be fighting Mike Holston aka The Real Tarzann in a Triller boxing match this month. Earlier this month, ESPN MMAs Ariel Helwani reported that Triller boss Ryan Kavanaugh told him that a deal had been signed for a fight between the two men. Vitor Belfort vs. The Real Tarzann will take place at Trillers Fight Club event later this month. The matchup will be one of the most high-profile clashes on the fight card. The event will be headlined by Teofimo Lopez defending his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles against George Kambosos Jr. It will take place at the LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida on June 19th, 2021. The matchup between Vitor Belfort and The Real Tarzann will be a professional boxing bout. Belfort and Tarzann will wear 12-ounce gloves. The fight is scheduled for eight two-minute rounds. There is a signed deal in place for @vitorbelfort vs. @therealtarzann to take place on the June 19 Triller card, per @RyanKavanaugh. 12-ounce gloves, eight two-minute rounds. Pro bout, pending Florida commission approval likely tomorrow. Belfort is 1-0 as a boxer (2006).  Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 4, 2021  There is a signed deal in place for @vitorbelfort vs. @therealtarzann to take place on the June 19 Triller card, per @RyanKavanaugh. 12-ounce gloves, eight two-minute rounds. Pro bout, pending Florida commission approval likely tomorrow. Belfort is 1-0 as a boxer (2006).  Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 4, 2021  The Real Tarzann is a former zookeeper who later turned into an animal conservationist and whisperer. He is an internet celebrity/ social media influencer who has a lot of followers online. Tarzanns social media posts notably show his interactions with wild and exotic animals. These are often dangerous, leading some to praise and others to criticize his actions. Furthermore, hes known for his impressive strength and undergoes training in boxing and MMA. Vitor Belfort hasnt competed in a professional fight since 2018  Vitor Belfort parted ways with UFC back in 2018 and retired from the sport of MMA altogether. However, in late 2018, Belfort announced that hes set to make a comeback. The Phenom signed with ONE Championship in 2019. Belfort was expected to make his debut in the organization the following year. Nevertheless, Vitor Belfort and ONE Championship couldnt reach an agreement over which opponent hell face. Eventually, Vitor Belfort parted ways with the organization and is now set to make the jump into professional boxing. During the Triller press conference for his fight against Tarzann, Vitor Belfort stated:  They could not close the fight. My agent, Lloyd, was trying to close many fights. For some reason, their agenda, my agenda; we could not consolidate it. And my contract came to an end. And Chatri (ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong) is a nice guy, a good friend of mine. He said, Vitor, we cannot find you a fight. You know, this pandemic hit. It was pretty crazy. And I think it just didnt align, what theyre doing with what I wanted to do. And soon, on that day, were clear, I spoke to him, and kind of the same day, it appeared, this opportunity. And actually, the opportunity was amazing.  Its just in 2000, I think, yeah, year 2000, I was supposed to migrate to boxing. This lawyer had million dollar contracts, he wanted (me) to leave MMA to go box. Boxing being my bread and butter. I brought boxing to UFC. So, if they had let me do MMA and boxing together, I would do it. But I had to choose one, and back at the time, my dream was to make MMA big, and I did that. So, now its kind of migrating to this next phase.  Im really excited with what Trillers doing. I think theyre shifting how combat sports is migrating. I believe soon were going to have a (hybridization) between boxers and MMA guys, to see who has the best hands. (*Video courtesy: Fight Hub TV; H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)  Please take 30 seconds to answer this survey so that we can better understand how to serve your MMA needs. Edited by Alan John