The distance (boxing) 19, 1987. While the International Boxing Federation, which had recently broken away from the WBA, continued to hold onto the position there was no documented medical evidence to show a 15-round fight is more dangerous than a 12-round fight, they eventually voted to shorten their championship distance to 12 rounds as well on June 3, 1988. The last heavyweight 15-rounder title fight was on October 16, 1987 between Mike Tyson and Tyrell Biggs. The last middleweight 15-rounder title fight was a World Boxing Board title match on June 7, 1997 in which Jose Alfredo Flores won a split decision over
Xtreme Fighting Championships which took place on September 13, 2008 at the St. Pete Times Forum, featured the MMA comeback of Gan McGee. McGee, who stands six-foot, 10-inches tall and is known as "The Giant," had last fought on American soil during a UFC Pay-Per-View, when he battled heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia for UFC's world title. The fight ended up being highly controversial; Sylvia defeated McGee, but tested positive for steroids in a post-fight drug test. Sylvia was suspended by the Nevada Boxing Commission for six-months and was stripped of his title, but McGee was never granted a rematch, nor was the loss