One of the most storied careers in professional boxing came to its conclusion in fittingly controversial fashion as Mike Tyson bowed out on a dramatic night back in 2005.

Having been stunned by British heavyweight Danny Williams in his previous fight 11 months earlier, Irish journeyman Kevin McBride was selected as Tyson's next opponent as the former world heavyweight champion looked to return to winning ways.

In front of a capacity Washington DC crowd that included boxing legend Muhammad Ali, many expected the 'Baddest Man on the Planet' to make light work of the 32-year-old but few anticipated the events that would follow.

McBride, a club fighter with a record of 33 wins, four losses and one draw, physically imposed himself on Tyson from minute one.

Standing at 6 foot 6 inches and tipping the scales at 271 pounds, McBride had a substantial height and weight advantage that the 5 foot 10 Tyson struggled to contend with.

Referee Joe Cortez eventually halted the bout after an ugly sixth round that saw Tyson docked two points for a head-butt that opened a cut under McBride's left eye just seconds after he had tried to hyper-extend McBride's elbow in a clinch.  

After being pushed to the canvas where he remained until the bell rang, Tyson returned to his stool only for trainer Jeff Fenech to signal to the referee that his charge would be unable to continue.

Two judges had Tyson leading 57-55 after six rounds while the third had the 32-year-old McBride leading.

“I realised, I don’t think I have it any more,” Tyson said in a candid post-fight interview.

“I’ve got the ability to stay in shape but I don’t have the fighting guts anymore. I’m just fighting to take care of my bills basically.

“I don’t have the stomach for this any more. I’m more conscious of my children. I don’t have that ferocity, I’m not that animal anymore.

“Most likely I’m not gonna fight again. I’m not gonna disrespect the sport by losing to these calibre of fighters.

“I’m sure I’ll find something to do, boxing doesn’t define me.”  

Tyson, who has a record of 50 wins, including 44 knockouts, six defeats and two no-contests, said he did not want to disgrace the sport.

"I was just fighting to pay off the bills," he added. "I'm not an animal anymore."

McBride picked up just £80,000 for beating Tyson, who received £2.75m.

These days the man who ended Tyson's career works as a tree surgeon in America.

Tyson has since admitted he was physically and mentally unprepared for McBride.

"I didn’t really train, I didn’t really feel excited for that fight. I don’t know what it was, it was just a bill-paying, really mundane day at the office,” he said.

Today Tyson is dialled in for his return to the ring, claiming he is at his lowest weight since his teens.

“The last time I was this weight was 17 or 18 years old, " he said.

“I’m really happy with everything I’ve been doing, it’s down to confidence and self affirmation.

“It’s amazing, I’m just ready to do this. I can’t explain it in words."

Tyson's career was dogged by controversy and episodes of infamy but he remains one of boxing's most iconic figures.

He began his career with 19 consecutive knockouts, winning all of his first 37 fights on the way to becoming the younthe youngest heavyweight to win a world title, aged 20.

The first defeat of his career came at the hands of rank-outsider James “Buster” Douglas in Tokyo in 1990.

His next two defeats came to Evander Holyfield in 1996 and 1997, the second defeat coming the way of DQ after Tyson, in one of the most replayed sporting moments of all time, bit his opponent’s ear.

He later succumbed to Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams and McBride.

Mike Tyson returns to the ring against Roy Jones Jr in a bout for the ages on BT Sport Box Office on Saturday 28 November.