“Try not getting a break and then somebody choking and hitting you” - Shaquille O'Neal believes MMA is the hardest sport, says he started winning titles after undergoing MMA training
Shaquille O'Neal is one of the top centers in NBA history and won titles with the LA Lakers and Miami Heat, but he claims that MMA is the hardest sport and credits it for helping him win championships.
Mixed Martial Arts is one of the most physically-demanding sports globally, as the continuous action for a three-minute or five-minute round means that one momentary lapse could lose a fight.
The physical demands are immense, which means that mixed martial arts training can also help athletes train to be at their physical best.
NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal spoke about the toughness of MMA during a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq.
"MMA is the hardest sport because you work on every muscle. Sometimes in football we can go, boom ... aahh, boom boom boom ... aahh, that's what I'm saying, you get a break. In MMA, 3 to 5 minutes, you don't get no break. So try not getting a break and then somebody choking and hitting you, that was the hardest sport.
Shaq has spoken about his appreciation for mixed martial arts several times and has been a fan of the sport since 1996.
Longtime MMA fan @SHAQ got his introduction to the sport by sitting ringside for Vitor Belfort's pro debut in 1996 😯
(via @arielhelwani) https://t.co/Jx2mJIYdgC
While being a fan of mixed martial arts is one thing, Shaq also began training in the sports to elevate himself into a championship-winning player.
Shaquille O'Neal credits MMA for helping him win championships.
Championship DNA is difficult for any professional athlete to develop, and some athletes go their entire careers without developing the mentality and ability to win a championship.
Some athletes go to extreme lengths to develop the championship DNA necessary to win a title. Shaquille O'Neal credits mixed martial arts for helping him develop into a player with the ability to win championships.
"I never came back in wrestling shape. I always come back in basketball shape, but basketball, for me, I had to run, jump and wrestle. So, once I started training MMA like, 'when I stopped training basketball and just started training MMA, that's when I started winning championships'."
Shaq has spoken about how his training helped him win championships and how stopping training ultimately cost him titles in previous interviews.
The level of training that the Hall of Famer went through to be great helped him become one of the most dominant players in basketball for almost a decade.
If Shaquille O'Neal had maintained his workout regimen throughout his career, he might have had an even more impressive career.
Still, Shaquille O'Neal's mixed martial arts ability is impressive given his size, and the commitment to his training method could help other modern centers find success.