Grabbed Me From Behind… Shaquille O Neal Admits His Introduction to MMA Included Him Getting Scared of Jump Robbery - EssentiallySportsAmerica's Favorites Trending in U.S.A.

Grabbed Me From Behind… Shaquille O Neal Admits His Introduction to MMA Included Him Getting Scared of Jump Robbery

Published 11/07/2022, 11:10 AM ESTBy LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 16: Shaquille O’Neal is seen at ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ on July 16, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) Shaquille O’Neal was a man among boys during his days in the NBA. Standing at a towering height of 7’1” and over 360 pounds of muscle, O’Neal was in a league of his own. Few men could ever dream of holding down the monster. But Vitor Belfort, the MMA legend, made it a reality when he met O’Neal for the first time in 1996. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The 4x NBA champion, Shaquille O’Neal, was a force of nature, the likes of which the NBA has never seen before. His size and agility made him dominate the best centers in the league for over two decades. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad However, the dominant big man was humbled when he encountered the MMA legend, Vitor Belfort, one night in Hawaii. After signing with the in the off-season, O’Neal made his way to Hawaii with his new team for a training camp. However, Shaq had an unusual encounter on the trip that sparked his interest in a new passion.

Shaquille O Neal revealed how he once got jumped by Vitor Belfort

One night when strolling through the streets, got “jumped” by a mysterious man. The man in question was Vitor Belfort View this post on Instagram ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Watch the Story – O’Neal revealed that he fell in love with MMA that night and became a fan after watching Belfort’s fight. It was Belfort’s first sanctioned mixed martial arts match, and he was up against Jon Hess. Hess had the advantage; he was over 7 inches taller and 100 pounds heavier than Belfort. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad However, Belfort knocked him out in 12 seconds, giving the fans a glimpse of what was coming. Belfort marked his arrival. Moreover, he found a new fan in O’Neal. Since that night in Hawaii in 1996, the former MVP has followed the sport religiously. He also shares a healthy relationship with UFC president Dana White. The Big Diesel has been spotted in several UFC events over the years.

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ADVERTISEMENT K Shrijith 131 articlesK Shrijith is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing his BBA degree, Shrijith has a keen interest in the world of finance. In fact, he has past experience in equity research and writing research reports on the subject of finance.Please enable JavaScript to view the ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT

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