McBride has a nine-inch height advantage over Tyson

McBride, 31, will take on Tyson in Washington on 11 June and believes he can emulate Britain's Danny Williams and defeat the former world champion.

"I'm going to shock the world, and after I beat Mike I want to fight for the world title," McBride said.

"I told my father, who died six years ago, I wanted to fight Tyson. I dreamt it and now it's going to happen."

The fight will be Tyson's first since he was knocked out in the fourth round by Williams last July.

Tyson confirms McBride comeback

McBride, 31, had been set to take on Tyson instead of Williams, but the Briton stepped in after agreeing to fight for less money.

Williams' victory earned him a shot at the WBC world heavyweight title, but he was beaten in eight rounds by Vitali Klitschko.

Tyson, who has lost two of his last three fights, needs to continue boxing because he is �12m in debt and filed for bankruptcy last year.

McBride is a guy he (Tyson) knows he'll take out in two rounds, no problem Danny Williams

He claimed his fight with McBride would be a "train wreck" and also blamed his loss to Williams on a knee injury.

"I hope Danny Williams doesn't really think he won that fight," said Tyson, who added that afterwards he had "spiralled into a deep depression".

Williams, who wants a rematch with Tyson, hit back at the American's claims.

"I was very disappointed to read that Tyson is going to be fighting Kevin McBride," he told secondsout.com.

A couple of years ago the result would not be in doubt but now Tyson is no longer a certainty against a lesser opponent. From K Lam Have your say on 606

"It proves that Tyson and his people know deep down that Tyson can't beat me.

"All the excuses about Mike only losing in Louisville last July because of some phantom knee injury is all just excuses.

"If Tyson really believes he'd have beaten me if not for some knee injury he'd agree to fight me again.

"He's making himself look silly by claiming he'd beat me easy and then avoiding me.