LONDON -- Mike Tyson will be allowed to enter Britain for his fight with Julius Francis despite his 1992 rape conviction, the Home Office said Thursday.

The Home Office, the government department that oversees law enforcement, had been facing pressure from the Immigration Service and fight organizers, who had said they would lose millions of dollars if the Jan. 29 bout were canceled.

"Great," Shelly Finkel, Tyson's boxing adviser, said when told of the decision.

Controversy over Tyson's right to enter the country surfaced Tuesday when several London mayoral candidates, including Oscar winner Glenda Jackson, raised objections to his criminal record.

Under British immigration law, people who have served a year or more in prison can be barred from entering the country. The former heavyweight champion served three years for rape in Indiana.

Home Office Secretary Jack Straw, who stepped in Thursday to make the unusual decision and take the pressure off immigration officials, said he was moved by the plight of small businesses in Manchester.

He called the businesses "innocent third parties" that could have gone bankrupt if the fight were canceled because of the money invested in preparing for the bout.

Straw also said he didn't want to inconvenience and disappoint thousands of fans who bought tickets.

The biggest loser if the fight had been called off might have been the little-known Francis, the British heavyweight champion.

Francis, 35, will get an estimated $560,000 from the fight in Manchester. Tyson reportedly will earn $12 million.

If the fight had been called off, Francis said he faced bankruptcy after spending about $100,000 for sparring partners and training costs since the fight was announced a month ago.

Fight promoter Frank Warren said he stood to lose at least $1 million if the fight had been canceled.

Tyson planned to arrive via the Concorde on Sunday at Heathrow Airport and will train in London before going to Manchester.

"We're relieved and we're grateful that an intelligent and consistent decision has been reached," said Jay Larkin, who runs boxing for Showtime, which will televise the fight.