Las Vegas is one of the most well known cities in the world and has been the home to some massive sporting events, not just boxing! With an NFL and NHL team soon to call Las Vegas home, sports will only become more prevalent in the town. Below are some of the biggest and most unique sporting events in the history of Las Vegas.

Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield II

Not only is this one of the most famous sporting events in Las Vegas history, it is one of the most iconic sports moments of all time. This fight featured two world renowned heavy weights who were set to square off for the second time. The first fight between the 2 was a rare loss by Tyson, only adding to the drama of the rematch. The fight itself was for the heavyweight title, but the bitter rivalry between the two men made it take on a whole new life. In the first fight, Holyfield headbutted Mike Tyson giving him a gash above his eye. It was ruled accidental by the ref, but clearly Iron Mike did not agree. During the second fight, yet another Holyfield headbutt caused a gash on Tyson’s head, only to be deemed accidental once again. Mike Tyson then did one of the most unbelievable things not only in sports, but history in general; bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear. The video is truly shocking as Holyfield reacts with immense pain, if you haven’t seen it it is worth checking out. Forgetting this, “The Bite Fight” would have been one of the biggest bouts ever, but Tyson’s actions made it one of the most famous sporting events ever.

NBA Summer League

The NBA Summer League did not make our list because of how big it is right now, but how quickly it is growing and how big it could become. If you don’t know, the Las Vegas Summer League takes place every year in early July at the Thomas Mack Center located on UNLV campus. It is a showcase of the league's top young players who were recently drafted as well as other top international and college players trying to make an NBA team. The league is basically a big tryout for the NBA as 24 teams enter a team of NBA hopefuls to represent them. It has actually been played every summer since 2004, but this year’s season that will end tonight has taken on a life of it’s own. The top picks in the NBA draft are more accessible than ever before through social media and the digital age, meaning the anticipation for them is ever growing. This year the league took the leap from a few thousand basketball fanatics showing up to becoming a national sporting spectacle. Every game from this year’s tournament was shown live on ESPN and it was the most talked about thing in sports. Dozens of this years games sold out and the NBA is doing a great job making it a family atmosphere. Though you may have missed this year’s summer league, be sure to check it out next year, whether you are a basketball fan or not.

McGregor Vs. Mayweather

This fight is being called “The Money Fight” and will end up being by far the biggest boxing match of all time. The fighters are said to be making upwards of $75 million each! The fight will be taking place at T-Mobile Arena on August 26th, 2017. For those that don’t know the background, it is a lengthy one. Floyd Mayweather is a 49-0 Professional boxer who has retired but is recognized as one of, if not the best fighters of all time. Conor McGregor is 21-3 all time but the part that makes this fight so interesting is that McGregor’s record is in a different sport. McGregor is recognized as the most famous and best MMA fighters of all time. He and Mayweather have had an ongoing feud for years and a fight has always been rumored, so now that it is official the excitement is something never seen before. Mayweather is the heavy favorite considering it is the sport he is accustomed to, but there is no telling how the fight could play out considering there has never been anything like it. Boxing really does rule Las Vegas. It is said to be the boxing capital of the world and is home to most of the big fights of all time. People do not usually consider the other sports played in Las Vegas, with good reason. But as the NBA Summer League explodes in popularity and the NFL and NHL move franchises to Vegas, the city will soon be known for much more than just epic boxing battles.