In the decade since he became the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history, Mike Tyson has served time in jail for a rape conviction, been banned from the sport and claims to have been cheated out of millions by people he trusted.

On Jan. 16, Tyson will return to the ring for the first time since he bit Evander Holyfield twice during their bout in June, 1997. Francois Botha will be his first opponent, but Tyson might be his own worst enemy in his comeback.

Tyson recently talked with ESPN's Roy Firestone about the issues surrounding his life. Selected highlights from the interview follow. The interview will air in its entirety on UpClose PrimeTime at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN this Friday, Dec. 18.

Firestone: If you know what you have to do to get your life back on track, why can't you do it?

Tyson: Only people that I have a problem with are the people who disguise themselves as my friends and betray me.

Firestone: You feel you have been betrayed?

	MIKE TYSON RESPONDS
	Mike Tyson's sarcasm is evident in his answer to Roy Firestone's question about the validity of the rape conviction. 618k AVI 618k QuickTime

Tyson: Yeah.

Firestone: By Don King?

Tyson: Well, that's just part of life.

Firestone: Don King?

Tyson: Yes.

Firestone: John Horne?

Tyson: Yes.

Firestone: Do you feel you have been ripped off like King has ripped off other fighters?

Tyson: Yeah, but listen that's just something that happens, and I had to pay for that, uh, ignorance.

Firestone: With respect to you, what's it like to go to a sheriff's office and register as a sex offender?

Tyson: I don't get embarrassed. I have no dignity in that perspective. Like, when I was there, right, there's nothing but ladies in the sheriff's office. So the lady said, "What did you get convicted for to be here?"

I said, "Rape." And I said it real loud, and my friends are like, "No, no, no. No, no, no, no. You say sexual assault."

And the ladies started laughing ... it's rape. They said I raped somebody. But after this, all the ladies came, hugged and kissed me and signed their autographs.

Anybody who's a sophisticated adult, and they have seen the situation that happened to me, they know that's (expletive). You know what I mean?

"Now, Cus D'Amato taught me how to be. He was a strong man. I'm strong and I'm mean, and there's nothing that can break my spirit from that perspective. Nothing's going to make me get on ... I will never get on my knees to no one." -- Mike Tyson

Firestone: You didn't?

Tyson: Listen. All right, listen. I don't want to touch it too much, but it's just that there's so much (expletive) Yeah, I raped her (sarcastic). Give me a break, OK.

Firestone: Do you remember the movie Raging Bull?

Tyson: Yes.

Firestone: There was a scene with Jake La Motta, I think it really did happen, but it was in the movie. Robert DeNiro, as Jake La Motta, starts banging his head against the wall, saying, "Why, why, why?"

Tyson: He was in prison right?

Firestone: Yes. Did you ever feel that way?

Tyson: I'm too sophisticated to do that. You know, I mean I'm not a (expletive) brute. It's just things happen, and I said, "Well listen, I screwed up this happened," and we deal with ‘em.

Now, Cus D'Amato taught me how to be. He was a strong man. I'm strong and I'm mean, and there's nothing that can break my spirit from that perspective. Nothing's going to make me get on ... I will never get on my knees to no one.

Firestone: If you lose to Francois Botha, what would that do to your aura of invincibility? Would you consider retiring?

Tyson: I can't imagine him beating me, and I just can't fathom that.

Firestone: How badly do you want to fight Evander Holyfield?

Tyson: Excuse me.

Firestone: How badly do you want to fight Holyfield?

Tyson: I'm just fighting one fight at a time, man.

Firestone: Is it something on your mind, though?

Tyson: Once I get through this guy, we'll talk about the next guy. I'm just building my life back up.

Firestone: I'm going to talk to you about the night of your second fight against Holyfield. You said before that you snapped. Can you describe the degree of rage you felt when you bit him?

Tyson: I've never been in that state before. Listen, I just know anger is something that everyone has, and it depends who the individual is, they get dealt with differently.

Firestone: What do you love?

Tyson: Oh, my daughters. I love them.

Firestone: Do you love the sport?

Tyson: Of boxing? Uh, I don't know.

Firestone: Has that changed for you?

Tyson: No, I love the fighters. I love fighters. I'm a fighter, I love all the fighters. I don't know about the sport. The sport's a different entity than the fighters.