KAMPALA, Uganda — Evander Holyfield's WBF heavyweight title bout against South African Francois Botha in Uganda has been postponed from January to late February to give the boxers and organizers more time to prepare, the fight's promoter said Monday.
Pro Box Promotions manager Eddie Bazira said the fight will now be held Feb. 20 instead of the originally scheduled Jan. 16 date.
"We have realized that we need more time to publicize the event regionally and worldwide and also to give the fighters ample time to prepare themselves," Bazira said. "I assure the world that the fight will take place."
The aging American fighter was also scheduled to fight Ethiopian-American boxer Sammy Retta in September in Ethiopia's capital but promoters have postponed the fight several times and its venue is still undecided.
Organizers for the fight at Kampala's Nambole Stadium have predicted a crowd of 80,000 fans and the potential of a big pay-per-view payout for the cash-strapped Holyfield, a former four-time world champion who has won only five of his last 12 contests.
Holyfield (42-10 with 2 draws) has not fought since losing a points decision to Nikolai Valuev a year ago. The 47-year-old American, a former world cruiserweight and heavyweight champion, believes a victory could give him a shot at a more prestigious title.
Holyfield's last two fights were losses to Sultan Ibragimov and then to Valuev, a majority decision he disputed. Since then, Ibragimov has retired and Valuev lost his WBA title to Britain's David Haye.
Botha (47-4 with 3 draws) retained his WBF title by drawing with Pedro Carrion of Cuba in Germany in October.