June 11, 2005. The MCI Center in Washington, D.C., was packed with 15,472 people who thought they were seeing a comeback. Instead, they saw the end of an era. Honestly, it wasn't the ending anyone scripted for "Iron Mike."
Mike Tyson was 38 years old. He looked the part in the gym—muscular, intimidating, and still possessing that terrifying head movement in short bursts. But the ring is a lonely place when the gas tank hits empty. Facing him was Kevin McBride, a 6-foot-6 Irish journeyman who most experts thought was just a "get-right" opponent for Tyson. Basically, McBride was supposed to be a human sacrifice.
It didn't go that way. Not even close.
What Really Happened with Mike Tyson Last Fight 2005
Tyson started the fight with glimpses of his younger self. He landed some sweeping hooks. He looked for the knockout early. But McBride wasn't going anywhere. He used every bit of his 271-pound frame to lean on Tyson, clinching and smothering the former champion’s explosive energy. By the third round, the "Baddest Man on the Planet" looked human. By the fifth, he looked exhausted.
Then came the sixth round. It was ugly.
Frustration bubbled over. Tyson, feeling the fight slip away, tried to break McBride’s arm during a clinch. It was a desperate, foul-heavy round. Referee Joe Cortez had to step in frequently. Tyson even landed an intentional headbutt that opened a nasty cut over McBride's left eye, leading to a two-point deduction.
✨ Don't miss: When Was the MLS Founded? The Chaotic Truth About American Soccer's Rebirth
Right as the bell rang to end the sixth, McBride shoved Tyson. Mike fell to the canvas. Cortez ruled it a slip, but the visual was haunting. Tyson sat there on the floor, looking at the referee with eyes that said he’d had enough. He eventually stood up and walked back to his corner, but he never came back out for the seventh.
The Stool, the Sweat, and the Sadness
Jeff Fenech, Tyson’s trainer at the time, watched as his fighter sat on the stool. Tyson simply told him he couldn't do it anymore. He didn't have it. The fight was officially ruled a TKO victory for McBride at the start of round seven.
It's wild to think about the scorecards. Despite the fouls and the fatigue, two judges actually had Tyson leading 57-55 at the time of the stoppage. He was winning the fight on paper, but he had lost the fight in his soul.
"I do not have the guts to be in this sport anymore," Tyson told Jim Gray in the ring immediately after. "I don't want to disrespect the sport that I love. My heart is not into this anymore."
It was a raw admission. Tyson wasn't making excuses. He admitted he was only there to pay the bills. He owed millions. According to bankruptcy court documents, while his purse was $5.5 million, he was only expected to keep about $250,000 after taxes, creditors, and his ex-wife Monica Turner took their cuts.
🔗 Read more: Navy Notre Dame Football: Why This Rivalry Still Hits Different
The McBride Factor: More Than a Journeyman?
Kevin McBride became the answer to a trivia question that night. Before the fight, Tyson vowed to "gut him like a fish." McBride just kept his head down and promised to shock the world.
He did.
McBride later claimed Tyson even tried to bite his nipple during a clinch—a weird echo of the Holyfield "Ear Bite" incident from 1997. "He bit my nipple," McBride said later. "I didn't realize it at first but he had his teeth around it." Whether it was a bite or just a desperate scramble, it showed how far Tyson had fallen from the disciplined destroyer trained by Cus D'Amato.
McBride’s career didn't exactly skyrocket after the win. He lost most of his subsequent big fights and eventually retired to work for a tree-cutting company. But for one night in D.C., he was the man who retired the legend.
Why Mike Tyson Last Fight 2005 Still Matters
We talk about this fight because it represents the most honest moment in sports history. Most legends go out on their shields, or they get carried out. Tyson just... stopped.
💡 You might also like: LeBron James Without Beard: Why the King Rarely Goes Clean Shaven Anymore
He realized he wasn't "Iron Mike" anymore. He was a father who was more conscious of his children than the man across from him. He said he wasn't an "animal" anymore. That level of self-awareness is rare for a heavyweight champion.
It also marked the end of a specific type of boxing spectacle. The Pay-Per-View numbers were decent—somewhere between 230,000 and 280,000 buys—but far from the millions he drew in the 90s. The world had moved on, and finally, Mike did too.
Key Facts from the Night
- Date: June 11, 2005
- Venue: MCI Center, Washington, D.C.
- Result: Kevin McBride def. Mike Tyson via TKO (RTD) after Round 6
- Referee: Joe Cortez
- Tyson's Record at the Time: 50-6 (with 2 No Contests)
- The Purse: Tyson $5.5M / McBride $150k
If you’re looking back at the Mike Tyson last fight 2005, don't just look at the loss. Look at the interview. It was the moment Mike Tyson the "Monster" died, and Mike Tyson the "Human" was born.
Actionable Insight for Fans: If you want to see the technical peak of Tyson, skip the 2005 footage and go back to his 1988 demolition of Michael Spinks. That was the version of Tyson that would have finished McBride in 30 seconds. The 2005 fight is a lesson in the physical and mental toll of a combat sports career. If you're a fighter today, it's a reminder: when the heart leaves, the body follows quickly.
The legacy of Mike Tyson didn't end that night, but his professional career did. He stayed true to his word for nearly two decades before returning for exhibition-style bouts, but as far as the "real" heavyweight rankings were concerned, the book closed on a stool in Washington.