Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was sentenced to one day in jail and three years' probation Monday for cocaine possession and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Tyson, 41, pleaded guilty in September to a single felony count of cocaine possession and a misdemeanor DUI count. He had faced more than four years in prison.

The case stemmed from a December 2006 incident in Scottsdale, Arizona, where Tyson was stopped by police for driving erratically and was found to be in possession of cocaine and under the influence of alcohol.

Prosecutor Shane Krauser had recommended one year in prison Monday. Tyson's lawyer said that he was attending Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous and had passed 29 drug tests since the incident without a relapse. The judge at Maricopa County Superior Court, Helene Abrams, told Tyson she was "impressed" that he was seeking help.

"You worked to address your addiction and self-destructive behaviour," Abrams said.

Tyson was the youngest heavyweight champ in history when he won the title in 1986 at age 20. He lost his title four years later and descended into a pattern of uncontrolled behaviour that saw him squander an estimated 300-million-dollar fortune and serve jail sentences for rape and assault convictions. His latest attempt at a boxing comeback ended in a stunning defeat to Kevin McBride in 2005.