"I would have fought Bob Sapp, and I would have fought Hong Man Choi" - Shaquille O'Neal reveals previous plans to have an MMA career
Shaquille O'Neal is a huge fan of mixed martial arts and considers UFC president Dana White a friend. While he too old now to have a career in the MMA, O'Neal was open to fighting a couple of people inside the Octagon when he was younger.
In an interview with MMA Underground, O'Neal recently revealed that he would have loved to get in the Octagon with former NFL guard Bob Sapp and Korean MMA fighter Hong Man Choi towards the end of his NBA career. He said:
"I would have fought Bob Sapp, and I would have fought Hong Man Choi. I would have definitely fought those two, but at 50, I'm not going to even think about it."
Always loved the clip of @SHAQ ringside for @vitorbelfort's pro debut in 1996. That's the moment the NBA legend became an MMA fan, and "The Phenom" is the reason!!
Shaq hosting a massive event in Vegas on Saturday, so I talked a little MMA with him here: si.com/mma/2022/09/29… https://t.co/0vrztCeUfo
Bob Sapp had a brief career in the NFL before becoming a MMA fighter and kickboxer. He has an MMA record of 12 wins and 20 losses. He's currently under contract with Rizin Fighting Federation in Japan. He's 49 years old and last fought in 2018.
Meanwhile, Hong Man Choi is an MMA fighter, kickboxer and wrestler from South Korea. Choi has an MMA record of four wins and five losses, and a kickboxing record of 13 victories and nine defeats. He stands at 7'2" and last fought in 2019.
Since Shaquille O'Neal is friends with Dana White, he is open to having a role within the UFC. White is already a member of "The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation" and will attend "The Event" in Las Vegas on Oct. 1 at the MGM Grand Hotel.
How did Shaquille O'Neal become a fan of MMA?
Shaquille O'Neal revealed in an interview with MMA Underground how he became a fan of the sport. O'Neal credited MMA legend Vitor Belfort for inviting him to watch one of his fights. He said:
"A guy grabs me and puts me in a waist lock. I'm getting ready to turn around and beat him up. He goes, 'No, no, no, no, no.' It's Vitor Belfort. I'm like, 'Yo, man, what are you doing?' He gives me two tickets and said, 'I've got a fight tonight'.
"We went to this event, and Vitor beat some big old dude. He beat that dude in like 15 seconds. I'm like, 'What kind of sport is this?' And I've been a fan since."
The LA Lakers legend has attended several MMA events in the past. He's looking forward to the next big live event. He believes that the future of the UFC and the sport in general is in great hands. As for his favorite fighter, it's the charismatic Nate Diaz.