LONDON -- Liverpool promoter John Hyland has ambitious plans to stage the derailed world heavyweight title fight between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in Beirut, the former Olympic boxer said Monday.

"We've been watching developments and we've got good relationships in Beirut and it seems like the perfect place for the bout," Hyland told Reuters. "We've faxed both camps with a serious interest. We went with a delegation to Lebanon last week and it's a beautiful place, nothing like I expected.

"We laughed actually because people are worried about Beirut just like people in England don't want to go to Liverpool, who say you've got to watch your car or it'll be (stolen)," he added.

Hyland's interest was reported the same day Texas Motor Speedway officials decided against bidding for the fight.

"Mike Tyson makes this fight undesirable for us," TMS general manager Eddie Gossage told The Associated Press on Monday. "We've wound up where I expected it all along. We cannot sell our values. Texas Motor Speedway is a clean-cut, family oriented venue."

Gossage confirmed last week that the track had been in discussions with Tyson adviser Shelly Finkel and Gary Shaw of Main Events, which promotes Lewis. He said he faxed a letter to both Monday with his decision.

Hyland said his company, Munro and Hyland Bros Promotions, had contacted Jean Abou Rached, chairman of Gulf Finance and Investment Corporation, to help finance the fight in a 60,000-seater stadium in the Lebanese capital.

"Mr. Abou Rached is very excited at the prospect of staging in the Middle East one of the most eagerly anticipated heavyweight title contests of all time," Hyland said in a statement.

Abou Rached was not immediately available to comment when his office was contacted by Reuters.

Hyland added that Munro and Hyland had staged bouts for the American Home Box Office network and Britain's independent ITV television network, and currently promote world champions Shea Neary, Colin Dunne and Peter Culshaw.

Hyland has also co-promoted with Lewis's former manager Frank Maloney, as well as Frank Warren and Lou Duva.

Lewis and Tyson were originally scheduled to meet in Las Vegas on April 6 in a bout worth an estimated $150 million.

But the fight fell through when Nevada State Athletic Commission officials refused to grant Tyson a license after he was involved in a mass brawl at a New York news conference with Lewis to promote the fight.

Lewis accused the twice world champion of biting him during the brawl. Lewis, who holds the WBC and IBF belts, has said he will no longer fight Tyson on April 6 and may meet IBF No. 1 contender Chris Byrd instead.

But the champion has not ruled out fighting Tyson at a later date, although the WBC has said Lewis must face Tyson before considering any other opponents. Tyson's manager Shelly Finkel has said his boxer favors a fight in Texas or California, depending on which state first grants him a license.

Finkel said Tyson had formally applied for licenses in both states and that they have little interest in taking the fight out of the United States.

Venues from Manila to South Africa, Amsterdam to Madrid and Los Angeles to Copenhagen have claimed an interest in staging the bout.

Boxing experts say the city that hosts the fight would benefit from millions of dollars in related revenue.

Tyson's promising career -- he was the youngest world heavyweight champion at 20 -- has been blighted by controversy in and out of the ring. The 35-year-old was convicted and jailed in 1992 for raping a Miss Black America contestant.

He was released in 1995 after serving half his sentence, but was jailed again in 1998 for assaulting two motorists.

In 1997 Tyson was banned from boxing for a year after biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear in a world heavyweight title fight.

On top of his licensing difficulties and concerns over his mental health, further rape allegations also hang over him.

Las Vegas police have confirmed they have applied for a sexual assault prosecution to be brought against Tyson and are conducting a second rape investigation involving the fighter.