As the 16,000 spectators begin lodge out of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas , Nevada , following a night of fight on June 28 , 1997 , MGM employee Mitch Libonatinoticedsomething foreign on the floor of the pugilism mob . He later identify it as being roughly the size of it of a fingernail , with the grain of a piece of hot dog or blimp .
It was no conceding point of view remnant . It was a art object of Evander Holyfield ’s capitulum .
Wrapping the morsel of flesh in a latex glove , Libonati hurried offstage , where Holyfield was bestow with officials and doctors after his opponent , Mike Tyson , had been disqualify for biting him on the left ear . In all the whirl , Libonati was n’t allowed inside the way . But Michael Grant , one of Holyfield ’s training partners , accepted the ear fragment on Holyfield ’s behalf .
Libonati ’s uncovering was the climax to one of boxing ’s most controversial and freakish evening , one in which " Iron " Mike Tyson — the most famed battler of his era — meted out a barbarian reproval for what he perceived was dirty fighting on the part of Holyfield . The ear - pungent far exceeded the brutal underpinnings of boxing and added to Tyson ’s report as a frenzied combatant both in and out of the ring .
Mike Tyson ’s collision with Evander Holyfield had get going when the two were just adolescent . On the inexpert circle , they hadsparredtogether — not quite have intercourse the heights each would achieve , but understanding the other would be a redoubtable obstacle if they were to ever meet as professionals .
Tyson was a prodigy , havingwonthe heavyweight title of the Earth in 1986 at the age of 19 and dominating the division up until an upturned red ink to James “ Buster ” Douglas in Tokyo , Japan , in 1990 . Holyfield was thelighterfighter at light heavyweight ( 190 pounds ) , go up to the heavyweight division in 1988 and reach deference for his trilogy with Riddick Bowe .
Long before that black Nox in 1997 , Tyson ’s personal life had started to dwarf his attainment inside the ring : An allegedly abusive matrimony to actress Robin Givens darken his range of a function in the medium and finish in a very public divorce after just one class . In 1992 , a rape conviction sideline the belligerent for more than three years while he serve out his prison conviction .
When Tyson returned to the ring , he rattle off a string of wins against fighter not quite at his level , including Peter McNeeley , Buster Mathis Jr. , Frank Bruno , and Bruce Seldon . Holyfield had stepped away from competition in 1994 , but as Tyson knock off inferior opponent , talk of a binge with Holyfield intensified . in conclusion , the two met in Las Vegas on November 9 , 1996 , with Tyson a 17 - 1 favorite over the semi - retired Holyfield .
Holyfield would show his skeptic wrong . Through 11 bout of action , he outmaneuvered and outclassed Tyson by negating his opposite ’s power with apparent motion and volume . Holyfield also land headbutts that were announce unintentional , but to Tyson seemed measured . Before the fight could see a twelfth rhythm , Holyfield knocked Tyson down and clear a expert dish triumph .
While it was an undoubtedly disappointing present moment for Tyson , an upset in boxing virtually guarantees a moneymaking replay mickle . Both men agreed to fill a 2d time , with Holyfield gain $ 35 million and Michael Gerald Tyson catch $ 30 million . Tyson ’s cantonment , however , insist that the referee from the first bout , Mitch Halpern , not be book for the second , because Tyson felt he give out to call the illegal headbutts . The Nevada State Athletic Commission did n’t want to be seen capitulate to Tyson ’s demand , but Halpern stepped aside voluntarily . So referee Mills Lane hire his position .
Before a huge bunch full of A - list celebrities likeSylvester Stalloneand a then - record 1.99 million house that hadpurchasedthe event on remuneration - per - opinion , Tyson and Holyfield run into for a second time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 28 , 1997 . While Holyfield take the first round , Tyson appeared primed and adaptive , and came out blazing in one shot two . Then , just as Tyson had feared , Holyfield ’s headbutt struck him again .
The clash of heads open up a cut over Tyson ’s right eye , which threatened to obscure his visual sense as the fight go on . It also open up a reservoir of defeat in the belligerent that would attest in a stunningly violent room .
Coming out for the third round , Tyson had forget his gumshield and had to go back and retrieve it — a adumbration of thing to amount . His aggression wasworkingagainst Holyfield , but with 40 second left in the round , the two clinched up . Tyson moved his mouth so it was near Holyfield ’s proper spike . With his gumshield still in place , he clamped down on the ear , ripped the top off , and spat it along with his mouthguard onto the canvas .
Holyfield jumped up in the air travel in jounce and nuisance . reader Mills Lane was ab initio confound by what had encounter until Holyfield ’s flight simulator , Don Turner and Tommy Brooks , yelled out what Tyson had done . Lane called for a Doctor of the Church then told Marc Ratner , the executive director of the athletic mission , that he was going to end the fighting . Ratner call for if he was certain . Seeing Holyfield was bleeding from his ear but otherwise ready to fight , Lane waved the two men back into competitor .
Incredibly , Tyson bit Holyfield a 2nd time , this time on the left auricle , before the round ended . This time , Lane was cognizant of what was encounter and had seen enough . Before the start of the 4th round , he disqualified Tyson .
That was far from the end of it . Realizing he had lose the fight , Tyson grew incensed , shoving Holyfield from behind and pawing at the security measures guard who had stormed the ring in an attempt to touch on club .
After the bout , Tyson did n’t come along to be too contrite . He explained that he was thwart at Holyfield headbutt him without being punish , and say he had lost dominance .
“ Listen , ” Tyson said . “ Holyfield is not the problematic warrior everyone say he is . He got a nick on his ear and he quit . ”
Tyson believe his retaliation was rationalise . “ This is my career , " he say . " I ’ve got tiddler to raise and this guy wire keeps butting me , essay to edit me and get me stopped on cuts . I ’ve acquire to retaliate . What else could I do ? He did n’t want to fight . I ’m ready to fight back mightily now . irrespective of what I did , he ’s been butting me for two fight . I got one eye . He ’s not impaired . He ’s got ear . I ’ve stick to go home and my kids will be scared of me . Look at me , look at me , expect at me ! ”
Two days afterwards , Tyson supply a chasten apology in an endeavor to minimize the consequences , but it was too belated . In addition to lose his packing permit in the country of Nevada , Tyson was fin 10 pct of his pocketbook , or $ 3 million , which was reckon to be the largest fine in sport at the time .
Tyson could never alone shake the stigma of his activity . When a moneymaking bust with Lennox Lewis was being plan in 2002 , the conflict at long last ended up get place in Memphis , Tennessee ; Nevada resist to restore Tyson ’s license following a press conferencebrawlbetween the two human race .
Tyson ultimately continuedcompetingthrough 2005 , when he lose his last round to Kevin McBride . Holyfield retired in 2011 . Earlier this year , the 54 - year - honest-to-goodness Tyson expressed a desire to recall to the ring . The fighter once known as " The Baddest Man on the satellite " is schedule tofightRoy Jones Jr. on November 28 , 2020 . Yet Holyfield , now 57 years honest-to-god , remains a potential future opponent .
The two have occasionally interacted in public in audience , with Tyson utter remorse and Holyfield admitting he brieflythoughtabout biting Tyson on his face right back . The pair even filmed a daub for Foot Locker in which Tyson “ throw ” Holyfield the missing piece of his ear .
In realism , Holyfield never did get his capitulum back . After Mitch Libonati pass on it over to Michael Grant , the while somehow fell out of the latex boxing glove while being transported to the hospital .
Many battler talk about pass on a little piece of themselves in the ring . It ’s unremarkably metaphorical . For Evander Holyfield , it was just the the true .
