The docs were submitted in response to a $25 million lawsuit filed earlier this year -- in which Tyson was accused of assaulting and battering Antonio Echevarria in an airport terminal last November.
In the new papers, Tyson claims he doesn't owe the guy a single penny because he was provoked -- and insists that he merely acted in a manner that was "necessary for his self-defense" and the "protection of others."
As we previously reported, Echevarria shot footage of the incident -- which was heavily edited before we got a hold of it -- showing an angry Tyson charging towards the photog and saying, "I will kill you."
Tyson was arrested moments after the incident -- but the L.A. City Attorney ultimately rejected the case citing "insufficient evidence."
