By Joël Pütz | Sports journalist
Basketball legend, Shaquille O’Neal, however, has strong affinities with combat sports and particularly MMA. The Hall of Famer pivot recently shared a big anecdote about a former UFC champion.
If he has always been known for being a clown both on and off the court, make no mistake: Shaquille O’Neal knew how to be very naughty. Not one to shy away from a fight, the former interior player distributed an impressive number of gouaches during his basketball career. The slightest lack of respect towards his person could end very badly for anyone who dared to provoke him.
Under these conditions, it is therefore hardly surprising that Big Diesel ended up developing a passion for combat sports. He is notably a regular customer at parties organized by the UFC and that goes back a very long time, as he explained on the podcast Pound 4 Pound recently. And to think that everything almost started very badly when crossing paths with Vitor Belfort, former light heavyweight champion!
The WTF meeting between Shaq and Vitor Belfort
We were in training camp in Hawaii. I was walking down the street when some asshole grabbed my arm, and he was really strong. I said to myself: “Shit, this is going to end in a fight. » I turn around and we stare at each other, and suddenly you see Vitor Belfort raising his hands and saying to me: “No, no, man!” I’m a fan of yours. » I think it was before UFC 1. He gave me tickets to see his fight.
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The guy grabbed my arm in the middle of the street, so in my head I was preparing to punch his face because he was short. But he was actually very nice: “No no no, my friend, I fight in the UFC. I’m going to have a fight. » I replied: “What time?” » We had nothing else to do. He demolished a guy who was 2m10 tall, I had never seen a sport like that before. I’ve been a fan ever since.
It should be noted that Belfort had a “small” height of 1m83 for a weight ranging between 84 and 93 kilos. A beautiful baby then, but who looked tiny next to Shaq (2m16 and 150 kilos)… No wonder the Brazilian immediately wanted to defuse the situation. The two men quickly became good friends after that, with “The Phenom” going so far as to re-portray someone who was bothering Shaqtus:
He once knocked someone out for me. The guy kept talking nonsense and suddenly Vitor came out of nowhere and beat him up. I looked at the guy lying on the ground and said, “Vitor, go.” He wouldn’t go away so I insisted, “You bastard, get out of here!” Go away, I’ll take care of the rest. » Then the cops showed up.
When a UFC fighter grabs your arm, it’s nothing to be afraid of… unless you’re a juggernaut named Shaquille O’Neal. Ultimately, this impromptu meeting in the streets of Hawaii resulted in Big Diesel’s passion for MMA.
