Evander Holyfield will step in to face Vitor Belfort on Saturday after former boxing great Oscar De La Hoya was forced out of a one-off comeback bout because of Covid-19.

But the bout has been moved from Los Angeles’ Staples Centre to Florida after California boxing authorities refused to sanction a battle between Brazilian mixed martial arts star Belfort and former heavyweight world champion Holyfield – who will be a month shy of his 59th birthday on fight night.

Holyfield hasn’t fought since 2011, but he had signed to fight Kevin McBride earlier this year – with a possible future fight against his old nemesis Mike Tyson on the horizon.

Holyfield posted on Instagram in August that he’d been “training hard for months . . . I promise my fans I will step back in the ring at least one more time before I lay my gloves to rest for good”.