Won 44 (KOs 29)  |  Lost 10 (KOs 2)

Drawn 2  |  Bouts 57 (No Contest 1)

Rounds 443  |  Debut 1984-11-15

57 Win (44-10-2) (1) vs Brian Nielsen
TKO 10 (12), 2:49 | May 7, 2011

56 NC (43-10-2) (1) vs Sherman Williams
NC 3 (12), 3:00 | Jan 22, 2011
WBF (Federation) heavyweight title at stake, Holyfield cut from an accidental head clash

55 Win (43-10-2) vs Francois Botha
TKO 8 (12), 0:55 | Apr 10, 2010
Won vacant WBF (Federation) heavyweight title

54 Loss (42-10-2) vs Nikolai Valuev
MD 12 | Dec 20, 2008
For WBA heavyweight title

53 Loss (42-9-2) vs Sultan Ibragimov
UD 12 | Oct 13, 2007
For WBO heavyweight title

52 Win (42-8-2) vs Lou Savarese
UD 10 | Jun 30, 2007

51 Win (41-8-2) vs Vinny Maddalone
TKO 3 (10), 2:48 | Mar 17, 2007

50 Win (40-8-2) vs Fres Oquendo
UD 12 | Nov 10, 2006
Won vacant USBA heavyweight title

49 Win (39-8-2) vs Jeremy Bates
TKO 2 (12), 2:56 | Aug 18, 2006

48 Loss (38-8-2) vs Larry Donald
UD 12 | Nov 13, 2004
For vacant NABC heavyweight title

47 Loss (38-7-2) vs James Toney
TKO 9 (12), 1:42 | Oct 4, 2003

46 Loss (38-6-2) vs Chris Byrd
UD 12 | Dec 14, 2002
For vacant IBF heavyweight title

45 Win (38-5-2) vs Hasim Rahman
TD 8 (12), 1:40 | Jun 1, 2002
Rahman sustained eye swelling from an accidental head clash

44 Draw (37-5-2) vs John Ruiz
SD 12 | Dec 15, 2001
For WBA heavyweight title

43 Loss (37-5-1) vs John Ruiz
UD 12 | Mar 3, 2001
Lost WBA heavyweight title

42 Win (37-4-1) vs John Ruiz
UD 12 | Aug 12, 2000
Won vacant WBA heavyweight title

41 Loss (36-4-1) vs Lennox Lewis
UD 12 | Nov 13, 1999
Lost WBA and IBF heavyweight titles, For WBC and vacant IBO heavyweight titles

40 Draw (36-3-1) vs Lennox Lewis
SD 12 | Mar 13, 1999
Retained WBA and IBF heavyweight titles, For WBC heavyweight title

39 Win (36-3) vs Vaughn Bean
UD 12 | Sep 19, 1998
Retained WBA and IBF heavyweight titles

38 Win (35-3) vs Michael Moorer
RTD 8 (12), 3:00 | Nov 8, 1997
Retained WBA heavyweight title, Won IBF heavyweight title

37 Win (34-3) vs Mike Tyson
DQ 3 (12), 3:00 | Jun 28, 1997
Retained WBA heavyweight title, Tyson disqualified for biting

36 Win (33-3) vs Mike Tyson
TKO 11 (12), 0:37 | Nov 9, 1996
Won WBA heavyweight title

35 Win (32-3) vs Bobby Czyz
RTD 5 (10), 3:00 | May 10, 1996

34 Loss (31-3) vs Riddick Bowe
TKO 8 (12), 0:58 | Nov 4, 1995

33 Win (31-2-0) vs Ray Mercer
UD 10 | May 20, 1995

32 Loss (30-2-0) vs Michael Moorer
MD 12 | Apr 22, 1994
Lost WBA and IBF heavyweight titles

31 Win (30-1-0) vs Riddick Bowe
MD 12 | Nov 6, 1993
Won WBA and IBF heavyweight titles

30 Win (29-1-0) vs Alex Stewart
UD 12 | Jun 26, 1993

29 Loss (28-1-0) vs Riddick Bowe
UD 12 | Nov 13, 1992
Lost WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles

28 Win (28-0-0) vs Larry Holmes
UD 12 | Jun 19, 1992
Retained WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles

27 Win (27-0-0) vs Bert Cooper
TKO 7 (12), 2:58 | Nov 23, 1991
Retained WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles

26 Win (26-0-0) vs George Foreman
UD 12 | Apr 19, 1991
Retained WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles

25 Win (25-0-0) vs Buster Douglas
KO 3 (12), 1:10 | Oct 25, 1990
Won WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles

24 Win (24-0-0) vs Seamus McDonagh
TKO 4 (12), 0:44 | Jun 1, 1990
Retained WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title

23 Win (23-0-0) vs Alex Stewart
TKO 8 (12), 2:51 | Nov 4, 1989
Retained WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title

22 Win (22-0-0) vs Adílson Rodrigues
KO 2 (12), 1:29 | Jul 15, 1989
Retained WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title

21 Win (21-0-0) vs Michael Dokes
TKO 10 (12), 1:41 | Mar 11, 1989
Won WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title

20 Win (20-0-0) vs Pinklon Thomas
RTD 7 (10), 3:00 | Dec 9, 1988

19 Win (19-0-0) vs James Tillis
RTD 5 (10), 3:00 | Jul 15, 1988

18 Win (18-0-0) vs Carlos de León
TKO 8 (12), 1:08 | Apr 9, 1988
Retained WBA and IBF cruiserweight titles, Won WBC cruiserweight title

17 Win (17-0-0) vs Dwight Muhammad Qawi
KO 4 (15), 2:30 | Dec 5, 1987
Retained WBA and IBF cruiserweight titles

16 Win (16-0-0) vs Ossie Ocasio
TKO 11 (15), 1:24 | Aug 15, 1987
Retained WBA and IBF cruiserweight titles

15 Win (15-0-0) vs Ricky Parkey
TKO 3 (15), 2:44 | May 15, 1987
Retained WBA cruiserweight title, Won IBF cruiserweight title

14 Win (14-0-0) vs Henry Tillman
TKO 7 (15), 1:43 | Feb 14, 1987
Retained WBA cruiserweight title

13 Win (13-0-0) vs Mike Brothers
TKO 3 (10) | Dec 8, 1986

12 Win (12-0-0) vs Dwight Muhammad Qawi
SD 15 | Jul 12, 1986
Won WBA cruiserweight title

11 Win (11-0-0) vs Terry Mims
KO 5 (10), 1:12 | May 28, 1986

10 Win (10-0-0) vs Jesse Shelby
KO 3 (10) | Apr 6, 1986

9 Win (9-0-0) vs Chisanda Mutti
TKO 3 (10), 1:37 | Mar 1, 1986

8 Win (8-0-0) vs Anthony Davis
TKO 4 (10), 1:31 | Dec 21, 1985

7 Win (7-0-0) vs Jeff Meachem
TKO 5 (8), 1:02 | Oct 30, 1985

6 Win (6-0-0) vs Rick Myers
TKO 1 (8), 3:00 | Aug 29, 1985

5 Win (5-0-0) vs Tyrone Booze
UD 8 | Jul 20, 1985

4 Win (4-0-0) vs Mark Rivera
TKO 2 (8), 2:46 | Apr 20, 1985

3 Win (3-0-0) vs Fred Brown
TKO 1 (6), 1:56 | Mar 13, 1985

2 Win (2-0-0) vs Eric Winbush
UD 6 | Jan 20, 1985

1 Win (1-0-0) vs Lionel Byarm
UD 6 | Nov 15, 1984

As an amateur, Holyfield represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the light heavyweight division. He turned professional at the age of 21, moving up to cruiserweight in 1985 and winning his first world championship the following year, defeating Dwight Muhammad Qawi for the WBA title. Holyfield then went on to defeat Ricky Parkey and Carlos de León to win the WBC and IBF titles, thus becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion. He moved up to heavyweight in 1988, later defeating Buster Douglas in 1990 to claim the unified WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles and the undisputed heavyweight championship.

He successfully defended his titles three times, scoring victories over former champions George Foreman and Larry Holmes, before suffering his first professional loss to Riddick Bowe in 1992. Holyfield regained the crown in a rematch one year later, defeating Bowe for the WBA and IBF titles (Bowe having relinquished the WBC title beforehand). Holyfield later lost these titles in an upset against Michael Moorer in 1994.

Holyfield was forced to retire in 1994 upon medical advice, only to return a year later with a clean bill of health. In 1996 he defeated Mike Tyson and reclaimed the WBA title, in what was named by The Ring magazine as the Fight of the Year and Upset of the Year. This made Holyfield the first boxer since Muhammad Ali to win a world heavyweight title three times. Holyfield won a 1997 rematch against Tyson, which saw the latter disqualified in round three for biting off part of Holyfield’s ear. During this reign as champion, he also avenged his loss to Michael Moorer and reclaimed the IBF title.

In 1999 he faced Lennox Lewis in a unification fight for the undisputed WBA, WBC and IBF titles, which ended in a controversial split draw. Holyfield was defeated in a rematch eight months later. The following year, he defeated John Ruiz for the vacant WBA title, becoming the first boxer in history to win a version of the heavyweight title four times. Holyfield lost a rematch against Ruiz seven months later and faced him for the third time in a draw.

Holyfield retired in 2014, and is ranked number 77 on The Ring’s list of 100 greatest punchers of all time and in 2002 named him the 22nd greatest fighter of the past 80 years. He currently ranks No.91 in BoxRec’s ranking of the greatest pound for pound boxers of all time. BoxingScene ranked him the greatest cruiserweight of all time. He is also the first boxer to hold world titles in three different decades, in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

Coverphoto: Shane Balkowitsch, CC BY-SA, via Wikimedia Commons.

Source text: Wikipedia Evander Holyfield.