BOXING News: Monaghan fighter Kevin McBride is set for a world heavyweight title fight after beating former champion Mike Tyson last weekend.

The fight between McBride and WBA champion John Ruiz is set for Boston later this year, both camps told The Irish Times yesterday.

McBride said he would be the first Irish-born heavyweight champion and was physically well after his victory over Tyson.

McBride's camp manager, Paschal Collins, a brother of former middleweight champion Steve Collins, said he expected the fight to go ahead in late September or early October.

Ruiz's spokesman, Bob Trieger, said both sides wanted to fight at the Fleet Center in Boston later this year and it would be promoted by Don King.

Trieger said that Ruiz's lawyer, Tony Cardinale, was meeting Collins to work out a deal. He said the only real delay was an option held by the promoters of the Tyson-McBride fight, Raging Promotions.

"They weren't expecting Kevin to win, so they are surprised to find they have an option on his next fight. We have to deal with that and then the fight should happen," he said.

Trieger said that, as both fighters are based in Boston, they should have no problem selling out the Fleet Center, the site of last year's Democratic Convention.

McBride is not ranked among the top 15 WBA heavyweights, as required for a title fight, but Trieger said that issue "would not be a problem".

McBride(32) said he would probably not put on extra weight for the Ruiz fight. "I put on weight for Tyson. I have a strength coach and I'm going to sit down with him and see. I lost 38lbs of fat for the Tyson fight and I put on about eight lbs of muscle. I'm at about the right age and weight for Ruiz," said McBride, who received 15 stitches above his left eye after the Tyson fight.