On a humid June night in 2005, at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., Kevin McBride, a relatively unknown Irish heavyweight, stepped into the ring with the legendary Mike Tyson. It was a fight few expected McBride to survive, let alone win. Tyson, though past his prime, was still a global icon, feared for his ferocious power and intimidating presence. McBride, a 6-foot-6 journeyman with a modest record, was seen as little more than a stepping stone for Tyson’s attempted comeback. Yet, that night would etch McBride’s name into boxing history as the man who forced “Iron Mike” into retirement—and left him with a chilling memory that haunted him for over two decades.

McBride, now 51, recently shared his vivid recollections of that fateful bout with various outlets, including a particularly shocking revelation about Tyson’s desperate tactics. “He hit me so hard in the sixth round, it was like leprechauns playing drums in my head,” McBride recounted. After absorbing a brutal shot, McBride instinctively taunted Tyson, saying, “Is that all you got? You’re in trouble.” What followed was a moment of sheer chaos. “That’s when he tried to break my arm and bite my nipple off,” McBride said. “Thank God he had his mouthpiece in, or I’d be the Irishman with one nipple.” The incident, which went unpunished by referee Joe Cortez, underscored Tyson’s unraveling state as the fight slipped away from him.

The bout itself was a grueling affair. McBride, leveraging his significant size advantage, leaned on Tyson, sapping his energy. Tyson, then 38, struggled with stamina and the height disparity, despite landing punishing blows. By the fifth round, Tyson was ahead on the scorecards, but his frustration was palpable. In the sixth, he resorted to dirty tactics, including a headbutt that cost him two points and left McBride with a cut over his right eye. As the round ended, McBride pushed Tyson to the canvas, a moment ruled as a slip but symbolic of Tyson’s fading dominance. When Tyson refused to rise from his stool for the seventh round, McBride was declared the victor, and Tyson announced his retirement, admitting, “I don’t have it anymore.”

For McBride, the victory was a dream come true. Growing up in Ireland, he idolized Tyson, watching his devastating knockouts in the 1980s. “I’d always dreamed of fighting him since I was a kid,” McBride told talkSPORT. “I’d have fought him for nothing.” Paid just $150,000 compared to Tyson’s $5 million, McBride insisted the money was secondary to sharing the ring with a legend. The night was made even more surreal when McBride met Muhammad Ali, who playfully threw punches at him, saying, “I’m the greatest, you’re the latest.”

Despite the triumph, McBride’s career never capitalized on the upset. He fought sporadically, suffering losses to stronger opponents, and retired in 2011. Now living in Boston, he works as a paver, a far cry from the glitz of that 2005 night. “I’m happy,” he told Bloody Elbow. “I’ve got two beautiful kids and a lovely wife.” Yet, the memory of Tyson’s attempt to bite him lingers as a stark reminder of the fight’s intensity. “It was excruciating,” he said, recalling the pain and shock.

McBride’s story resurfaced recently as Tyson, now 58, returned to the ring against Jake Paul in 2024. McBride warned Paul of Tyson’s enduring power, saying, “He’s still dangerous.” Reflecting on his own encounter, McBride remains proud but candid. “It wasn’t the Tyson of his prime, but I fought the man on the night and won,” he said. The nipple-biting incident, though, remains a chilling footnote, a testament to Tyson’s desperation and McBride’s resilience. For over 20 years, that moment has stayed with McBride, a mix of horror and pride from the night he toppled a legend.