Evander Holyfield has seen a request for a fighter's licence granted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, paving the way for a bout with Frans Botha in Las Vegas.
The former world heavyweight champion has been granted a one-fight licence to take to the ring on the condition that he would consult a retinal inspection before any future fights in Las Vegas, as it was found he had retinal scarring.
Holyfield has not fought in Las Vegas for over six years but is set to return aided by a stretch of four straight wins, following a run of three defeats to 2004.
Commission executive director Keith Kizer says that the 47-year-old has earned the right to return, and was quoted by the Las Vegas son as saying: "To his credit, he took some time off, as you can tell from his record.
"It's kind of strange, sitting here at the end of 2004 or 2005, we were pretty much saying this guy is done — it's silly to even talk about getting him a licence again. But then he came back and proved himself."
Holyfield has, in fact, lost his two most recent fights, though he competed hard in both including a battle with WBA World heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev in which he was controversially defeated on points.
A fight with Botha at Orelans Casino, 41, in April now looks very much on the cards, though the South African is also awaiting approval for his fighter's license before the bout can become official.