Mike Tyson claims there were times during the height of his career when he punched fans in the face if they asked for his autograph

• Mike Tyson has claimed that there were times when he punched fans who asked for his autograph
• "My life was just miserable, I was out of control," the 53-year-old told Yahoo! Finance of the peak of his career.

Mike Tyson has admitted that he was so out of control during the height of his boxing career that there were times when he punched fans simply for asking for his autograph.

"My life was just miserable, I was out of control," the 53-year-old told Yahoo Finance.

"I was fighting with everybody. If someone asked me for an autograph, I'd punch them in the face. I was just a mess."

Tyson had numerous brushes with the law during his turbulent career, including being charged for battery, sexual battery, misdemeanour assault, and assault with a deadly weapon.

He is also a registered sex offender and spent three years in prison after being found guilty on one count of rape and two counts of deviate sexual conduct against Desiree Washington in 1992.

The former fighter, who came out of retirement for an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. last November, credits taking up smoking cannabis with helping him turn his life around.

"After I retired, I started smoking," Tyson said. "What a mistake that was - I should have smoked my whole career. I should have smoked when I was fighting because it put me in this different state of mind.

"I'm very relaxed and the more relaxed you are, the better fighter you are, at least in my case."

Ahead of his fight against Jones Jr., Tyson said he also took psychedelics.

"I think of it as an enhancer," he said. "It makes me better, even in the ring. The punches don't hurt as much, it has a lot to do with my comeback, the psychedelics."