HOLLYWOOD, FLA–The main event of Triller Verzuz lll did not last long. Former UFC Champion Vitor Belfort knocked down Evander Holyfield twice in the first round, then pounced on the former heavyweight champion until referee Sam Burgos called the fight off at 1:49 of round one. The fight headlines at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Silva Knocks Out Ortiz in 1!
In a battle of MMA Legends, Anderson Silva stopped Tito Ortiz in the opening round of their eight-round cruiserweight bout.
Ortiz quickly backed Silva into the ropes, knocking Silva from one side of the ring to the other, landing combination after combination until, in true “Spider” style, Silva landed a short right hand that dropped Ortiz at 1:21 of round one and that was the end of the fight.
Carroll Takes Majority Decision over Vences
The second bout of Triller Verzuz lll featured Junior Lightweights Andy “El Tiburon” Vences vs. Jono “King Kong” Carroll. Both men are ranked top ten by the WBA, and both men fought with determination.
After a competitive but even six rounds, the action picked up in round seven after Vences landed a three punch combo to the body of Carroll
Carroll came out strong in round eight, and continued to press the action, but Vences landed some hard shots of his own, and opened a cut on Carroll that caught the attention of the ring doctor between rounds.
Carroll felt the pressure, and came out stronger than ever in round nine which was the most action-packed round of the fight.
The final stanza was fierce and action packed, with both men landing combinations, but the advantage was Carroll’s who took the majority decision with scores 95-95, 97-93, 97-93.
David Haye Decisions Fournier
Former heavyweight and cruiserweight champion David Haye took a eight-round unanimous decision over Joe Fournier in a heavyweight that featured two minute rounds.
In round one Fournier came out strong, while Haye paced himself. Haye established his jab midway through the round and dropped Fournier with a crisp punch.
Haye led round two with a left hook, and frustrated Fournier throughout the round, but wasn’t putting much power behind his punches.
Fournier came out in round three with aggression, but Haye’s defense prevented any damage.
Rounds four through seven featured more chasing by Fournier, and evading by Haye, who did slip in the occasional jab to let Fournier know he was still there.
Haye showcased his superior head movement in round eight and managed to evade all of Fournier’s punches.
Final scores: 79-72, 80-71, 79-72 for David “The Haymaker” Haye.
