One of the most anticipated fights in boxing, featuring two of the biggest names in the sport, became one of the most infamous moments in the ring.

Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield fought on June 28, 1997 in Las Vegas, a rematch of their fight a year earlier when Holyfield defeated Tyson to win the WBA heavyweight in 11 rounds.

Tyson tried to avenge his 1996 loss to Holyfield, but during the third round of the rematch, Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield’s ear, spit it out and bit his ear again.

RELATED: The fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson has been moved to November 15

The fight was stopped and referee Mills Lane disqualified Tyson. A fight broke out in the ring as police tried to separate the two fighters and members of their camps.

Holyfield was taken to an area hospital for treatment. The shocking moment became one of the most controversial incidents in sports history.

What led to the ear biting incident?

File: Referee Mills Lane stops the fight in the third round as Evander Holyfield (R) holds his ear as Mike Tyson (L) looks on during their WBA heavyweight championship fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 28, 1997. (JEFF HAYNES

In the early rounds of the fight, Mike Tyson complained about multiple headbutts from Evander Holyfield that were accidentally assessed by Lane.

Holyfield headbutted Tyson again in the second round of the fight, but the referee Molenslaan also ruled that the contact was accidental.

Tyson came out for the third round without his mouthpiece, but Lane ordered him to put it back in. Moments later, Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear.

“What do I do? This is my career. I can’t keep taking punches like this. I have kids to raise and this man keeps punching me, trying to cut me. I have to get revenge,” Tyson said in a speech. post-fight interview.

Was Tyson punished for the ear bite?

In the aftermath of the fight, the Nevada Boxing Commission held a hearing and fined Mike Tyson $3 million, imposed a one-year ban and lost his boxing license, which was eventually reinstated. Tyson later apologized to Holyfield for the incident.

What did Holyfield say about the bite?

Holyfield addressed the controversial moment in the ring, later telling a reporter, “Well, I accepted his apology, but when you look at it, is the person sincere? Only time will tell, too. But I don’t think that, regardless Whether a person apologizes or not, the (Nevada Boxing) Commission still has to do its job.”

Years after the ear biting incident, Tyson and Holyfield made amends and even went into business together, selling cannabis edibles in tribute to their 1997 fight.

The two champions started “Sacred Ears,” an edible product containing THC and Delta-8 THC in the shape of bitten ears, which was launched in November 2022 through “TYSON 2.0”, the boxer’s cannabis company.

Mike Tyson – Jake Paul fight

The 58-year-old former heavyweight champion returns to the ring to fight Jake Paul Friday, Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, during a fight broadcast on Netflix.

RELATED: Mike Tyson on age issues ahead of fight with Jake Paul: ‘I’m a different kind of person’

Tyson is 31 years older than Paul, but told FOX4 in Dallas in October you shouldn’t compare him to other people his age.

“Other people my age haven’t been training as long as I have, haven’t been as consistent as I have, and I’m just a different kind of person,” Tyson told FOX 4 reporter Mike Doocy.