Mike Tyson is willing to throw out the rule book in his return to the boxing ring against Roy Jones Jr.
The two maestros of the sweet science are set to clash in an eight-round exhibition bout on September 13 - but both have been told to treat the matchup as a sparring session.
There will be no ringside judges and no winner will be announced, while the assigned referee will be permitted to jump in at any point to ensure the safety of the two 50-plus year-olds.
But that's not going to work for "Iron" Mike, who made a career out of inflicting violence inside the squared circle.
"If the opportunity comes, I'm always looking for it," he told TMZ.
"This is search and destroy and I'm looking forward to recapturing my glory."
The California State Athletic Commission has officially sanctioned the bout under several caveats, including the ringside physician being able to stop the fight without the prompt of the referee.
"The (CSAC) is licensing the Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr match scheduled to take place in Los Angeles in September as an eight-round exhibition match," the commission told Sky Sports.
"In this match, the referee will have the authority to stop the fight if it strays outside the boundaries of a competitive boxing exhibition.
"Mr. Tyson and Mr. Jones Jr will have to submit all CSAC medical tests for fighters over 40, as well as CSAC's emergency regulations that have been put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19."
His opponent come September, Jones, regarded as one of the best technical boxers of all time, isn't expecting a tame Tyson when the two do battle.
Tyson has been releasing training videos since May when the former heavyweight champion announced: "I'm back". The sparring videos went viral and showed the 54-year-old to be in great, violent shape.
Jones told ESPN's First Take, if he can survive the first round, Tyson will be in for a long, painful evening.
"I understand because Mike doesn't just look like a killer he is a killer," he said.
"If Mike doesn't kill quick, he's fighting one of the smartest, savviest guys to ever do the thing, if he doesn't kill quick, he's in trouble.
"But I've seen all those smoking videos - don't think I don't know what's going on, I'm not stupid."
The bout will cost Americans $50 on a pay-per-view basis.
