Holyfield to fight Denmark's Nielsen in March

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield will fight Denmark's Brian Nielsen on March 5.

The 48-year-old Holyfield "knows he faces an experienced boxer with a lot of fighting will," Sauerland Promotion said in a statement Tuesday.

Nielsen, who held the lightly regarded IBO title in the 1990s, is 45.

The Atlanta-based Holyfield, who was the heavyweight champion four times, 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.

One of Holyfield's most memorable fights came against Mike Tyson in 1997, when Tyson was disqualified after biting off part of Holyfield's right ear.

Further details of the bout are expected to be released Thursday.

Nielsen, who lost to Tyson in 2001, retired in 2003 after an 11-year pro career because of a knee injury. Nielsen has had several operations and said recently he was ready for a comeback. The Dane has a record of 64-2, with 43 KOs.

Nielsen won the IBO title in 1996 when he stopped Tony La Rosa in the second round in Copenhagen. He also impeded former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes' hopes for a comeback, beating the 47-year-old in 1997 in a successful IBO title defense.