Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson is preparing for his return to the ring as he will face journey man Kevin McBride on June 11 at Washington's MCI Center, the Associated Press reported Monday.

Tyson and promoter Marty Wynn planned to announce the bout at a news conference Tuesday, APsaid.

The 38-year-old Tyson is 50-5 with two no contests and 44 knockouts. He lost two of his lastthree fights.

In his most recent outing, in Louisville on July 30, he was stopped in the fourth round by Danny Williams after tearing cartilage in his left knee.

That was Tyson's first fight in 17 months and his first loss in a non-title bout. He's entered the ring just once a year since 2001, earning a technical knockout victory over Brian Nielsen in October of that year, getting knocked out by Lennox Lewis in June 2002, and knocking out Clifford Etienne in February 2003.

Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion ever when he knocked out Trevor Berbick at the ageof 20 in 1986.

McBride, 31, defeated Kevin Montiy by technical knockout on March 18 in his last fight. Born in Ireland and now based in Massachusetts, the 6-foot-6 McBride is 32-4-1 with 27 knockouts.

Source: Xinhua