The long-awaited clash between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Junior is mere days away. Fight fans have been intrigued by the idea of the contest ever since it was first announced back in July of this year.What has never been particularly clear, however, are the exact rules under which the exhibition bout at the Staples Center in Los Angeles will be fought.Finally, though, we now have some clarity on the matter. In an interview with mmafighting.com, Andy Foster - executive director of the California State Athletic Commission - talked about the contest, as well as the exact rules that will govern it."Let's call it an exhibition. That's what it is," said Foster of the bout. "I want the public to know what this is because I don't want people to be disappointed. As long as they know this is an exhibition, I'm fine for everybody to earn."The exhibition nature of the fight also means that there will be no commission-appointed judges presented, with Foster even stating that no official winner will be announced."There's no official judges," Foster confirmed."The WBC is going to have some guest celebrity judges remotely, not official, not 10-9 (scoring), nothing like that. No cumulative score. No winner announced."

From the perspective of Foster and his colleagues, Saturday night's event is set to be far more about entertainment than a pure athletic contest:

"It a very entertainment-centred thing. It's about entertainment. It's not about competition," reiterated Foster.

Mike Tyson Vs Roy Jones Junior: What are the rules for the fight?

Here is a breakdown of everything that is now known regarding the rules of Tyson Vs Jones Junior on Saturday night:

  • The fighters will not be required to wear headgear;
  • The bout will consist of a total of eight rounds, each lasting two minutes;
  • 12-ounce gloves will be worn by each competitor;
  • An immediate halt will be called to the bout if either fighter suffers a significant cut.

There are has also been widely speculated that the fight will be immediately called off should either combatant take more punches than would usually be seen in an exhibition bout - although this has in no way been made official.

The bout - for which both Tyson and Jones have been required to undergo medical screening and VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency) testing - might be a far cry from some of the ruthlessly intense battles that we were treated to during their professional careers.

With that said, it looks sure to provide a unique (and hopefully entertaining) spectacle. This is something that Foster wants fans to keep in mind:

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"It's going to be fun," said Foster assuredly. "It is what it is and it's not more than it is, but it's going to be fun. They're both wonderful champions. These are legends of the sport."

There is, of course, the possibility that Tyson and Jones choose to ignore the spirit in which the contest is intended.

Likely to be both men's final outing, the pair will undoubtedly be keen to put on a show for a worldwide audience. Time will tell whether this turns out to be the case.