Former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will not avoid the possibility of scoring a knockout victory over Roy Jones Jr.

Tyson, 54-years-old, will return to the ring for the first time since 2005, when he faces the 51-year-old Jones, a former four division champion, in an eight round exhibition fight on September 12.

The California State Athletic Commission will oversee the fight and made it clear that Tyson and Jones will take part in what is going to be more of a "hard spar" - and they don't want them to enter the ring with knockout intentions.

But according to Tyson, he has other ideas.

If he has the opportunity to knock Jones out - he will not back off.

"This is search and destroy and I’m looking forward to recapturing my glory," Tyson told TMZ Sports. "If the opportunity comes [I'll go for the knockout], I'm always looking for it.

"The fighting game is what I'm about and hurting people is what I'm about."

In a recent interview, former heavyweight champion George Foreman expressed his concern over Tyson coming back at his advanced age.

Foreman himself retired at age 28, and then came back after a 10 year retirement at age 38. He became the oldest man win a heavyweight title at age 45, and retired for good at age 48 in 1997.

"Don't worry about us. [Foreman] wasn't worried about getting hurt when he went on his tour of coming back and fighting," Tyson said.

"We're both professionals. We know how to handle ourselves and whatever happens, happens."

Jones retired in 2018. He captured a heavyweight title in 2003, when he moved up from the light heavyweight division to win a decision over John Ruiz to capture the WBA belt. After that win, he returned to 175-pounds.