Holyfield wants world champion belt one last time

(From SI.Com)
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COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -Evander Holyfield vowed he'll continue to fight until he regains the world heavyweight title.

The 48-year-old former four-time heavyweight champion will face Denmark's 45-year-old Brian Nielsen in Copenhagen on March 5 in a non-title bout.

"My goal is to be the undisputed world champion one more time before I let it go. Once I do that, I sit down,'' he said Thursday. "And until I do that, I continue to fight.''

David Haye and Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko hold the current world heavyweight titles.

Holyfield knocked out Francois Botha last April after losses to Nikolay Valuev and Sultan Ibragimov. He has a career record of 43-10-2, with 28 knockouts.

"The most important thing to me is to fight. I take the fights that are available,'' he said.

Nielsen, who lost to Tyson in 2001, retired in 2003 after an 11-year pro career because of a knee injury that has required several operations.

Nielsen claims to have lost 33 pounds in the past few months but says he needs to drop more weight.

"I know that I have always been fat, but for my own sake I need to look like a boxer for once ... which I have never done before,'' he said, smiling. "I will be in good shape.''

Nielsen's record of 64-2 with 43 KOs is impressive and was noted by Holyfield.

"You don't have a record like that without being good,'' Holyfield said. "I don't worry about the opponent. I am concerned more about me. I am in the best shape.''

Nielsen won the lightly regarded IBO title in 1996 when he stopped Tony La Rosa in the second round in Copenhagen. He also ended 47-year-old former champ Larry Holmes' hopes of a winning another title in a successful defense a year later.