Phoenix Suns Shaquille 'Shaq' O'Neal might fight MMA standout Chuck Liddell
Submitted by admin on May 6, 2009 - 7:26pm
Shaq O’Neal as a basketball player is something that everyone knows, but Shaq as a mixed martial arts fighter is something that most aren’t aware of.
Shaq always seems to be the one popular athlete that isn’t afraid to be himself and people love him for that. He has been a rapper, a movie star and was one of the first to embrace Twitter so he can inform his fans about everything going on in his life. In addition, he also was one of the first mainstream athletes to embrace MMA and apparently actively participate in the training aspects as well.
For over 10 years now, Shaq has been training and perfecting his MMA skills at an elite training facility in Orlando, FL. The Jonathan Burke Gracie Orlando studio has taken the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu fighting style and has taught it to the masses creating one of the best gyms in the country. Along with Burke, instructors at the studio are some of the best in the world which includes the likes of Royce Gracie himself.
Burke was on ESPN’s FirstTake this morning to discuss his studio and Shaq. O’Neal has apparently been training with Burke to increase his cardio endurance but fighting in the octagon has become one of his favorite past times. Shaq loves to spar and just the other week sparred with an executive of Twitter that was invited to test his wares in the octagon with the seven footer.
According to Burke during his interview with ESPN’s Dana Jacobs, Shaq might just be planning a sparring match with none other than MMA veteran and legend Chuck Liddell. Shaq comes in over the weight limit of 285lbs but if it is not a sanctioned fight, then that is something he would not have to worry about.
Obviously Shaq would have Liddell over matched in the size department but Liddell has experienced it all inside the octagon and would likely dismantle the bigger O’Neal with his superior skills. Even if that is the case, this would be one of the more interesting things to witness, definitely more interesting than Jose Canseco’s upcoming venture into the octagon over seas in Japan.
Shaq just keeps getting better and better with age and will definitely become his generation’s Chuck Barkley with every single one of his peers knowing and liking the loveable giant. A fight with Liddell would just go that much further to making Shaq one of the most entertaining and loveable professional athletes in America today according to sports fans and his peers alike. Time will tell if this matchup will come to fruition but even the idea of it brings a smile to my face.
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