Where did Evander Holyfied's piece of ear go that Mike Tyson bite off in 1997?

Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield II went down as one of the most controversial fights in the history of boxing. The highly anticipated bout was a follow-up to the 1996 showdown between the two top heavyweights of their era.

Holyfield ended up TKOing the heavy favorite, Tyson, in the 11th round of the first bout. However, 'Iron' had a quick turnaround and secured a rematch with the heavyweight champ in just seven months. Scheduled for the WBA heavyweight title, the duo collided again at the MGM Grand Arena in 1997.

The lead-up to the fight made it one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year, nut the fight itself had one of the most bizarre endings ever seen in a professional boxing event.

The initial rounds saw Holyfield dominate his opponent. Tyson rebutted, but a headbutt from Holyfield caused a large cut under his right eye. This made Tyson furious, who began the next round aggressively looking to put Holyfield’s light out.

In response, the latter put him in a clinch within 40 seconds. Tyson then proceeded to bite off over an inch of Holyfield’s right ear, which he spit out simultaneously.

The fight resumed and Mike Tyson then proceeded to bite Holyfield’s left ear as well.

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What happened to Holyfield’s ear after Mike Tyson bit it off?

The second fight between Holyfield and Tyson happened about 25 years ago. Both the athletes have since reconciled and are looking to enter the ring together a third time.

Holyfield still sports the bite marks on his ear, as the cartilage seemingly never grew back. Hence, people are still debating what happened to the part of Holyfield’s ear that Mike Tyson bit and threw in the ring.

Listen to the two boxers' rehash their matchups below:

Apparently, the ear cartilage never got back to its owner. News report say that it was picked up by an employee working at the MGM Arena. He supposedly placed the piece on ice, gave it to the medics in Holyfield’s locker room, and had it transported to a hospital, where it was given to the doctor for reattachment.

Holyfield and his trainer Tim Hallmark said that the detached ear was lost in the ambulance itself.

The bite has been one of the most referenced events in the history of mainstream boxing. It has been more of a defining trait of Mike Tyson and his public persona, but Evander Holyfield, whose personality is quite the opposite of Tyson's, still wears the marks from the fight to this day.