'I'm going to kick his ass': Mike Tyson claims he'd beat UFC superstar McGregor as ex-heavyweight champ hypes his return (VIDEO)

Returning boxing icon Mike Tyson has laughed off a hypothetical challenge from ex-UFC champion Conor McGregor, claiming that his former verbal sparring partner would pose no threat as long as they fought under boxing rules.

Tyson returns to the ring with an eight-round exhibition fight against fellow hall-of-famer Roy Jones Jr in California on September 12, and the 54-year-old was in exceptionally confident mood as he chuckled his way through a succession of potential opponents.

Despite being 22 years his junior and a former two-weight champion in the Octagon, Tyson clearly felt his huge weight advantage over lightweight McGregor, allied with an adherence to boxing rather than MMA rules, would give him an easy victory.

"I'm going to kick his ass," told The Tonight Show, grinning as he was shown a mock-up of the pair slugging each other.

"We'd have to play by boxing rules."

Tyson has previously offered McGregor words of warning after his conviction for assaulting a man in a Dublin pub, called the Irishman "the man" and praised his charisma.

"He reminds me of the old-time boxers, one of those guys that’s just into everything," he once told Fighters Only.

"He walks into the room and everybody stands up.

"He sucks the air out of the room. He’s just a really interesting guy."

McGregor would need to bulk up considerably from the 155lb lightweight limit he is used to making for a fight with Tyson, who typically weighs around 85lb more than that.

The 32-year-old performed creditably when he faced one of the greatest boxers of all time, Floyd Mayweather, in a boxing match in 2017, lasting 10 rounds before losing to an opponent who entered with a 49-fight unbeaten record.

He showed his respect for Tyson after the pair met an event held by the boxer in Dublin shortly after McGregor unsuccessfully challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight title at the end of 2018.

"You spoke some things about me in the past which I did not like and I was happy to speak to you face to face, put it to bed and have some fun," McGregor later said, calling Tyson's marijuana strain "really nice".

"Make sure you stay switched on with those around you at all times.

"You have good people around you now, I can tell. But stay switched on.

"Just remember, if someone tries to rip you, rip their nose off their face."

In his latest appearance, Tyson promised he would "kick Rocky Balboa's butt" and "lay him out", adding that Ivan Drago, one of Balboa's nemeses from the Rocky films, was "too slow" and had "too many muscles" to compete with him.

Asked about another fictional fighting legend, "The Karate Kid" Daniel LaRusso, Tyson conceded: "I'm going to have to surrender on this one. But then again, we won't have to know.

"It's going to be me and Roy Jones, it's going to be an eight-round exhibition and it's going to be magnificent and I'm going to look beautiful."