Did Evander Holyfield headbutt Mike Tyson in the infamous 'Bite Fight' 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.
🗓 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.
HORRIFIC 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."