'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
An NBA and UFC crossover recently happened as basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal recently crossed paths with two-time UFC Women's Champion Weili Zhang. O'Neal was working on his cardio in a gym when Zhang randomly popped up to greet arguably the greatest big man of all time. Shaq was delighted to meet the octagon fighter but humorously regretted messing with the champ.
Being the natural goofball he is, O'Neal requested Zhang to punch him in the stomach. Initially, Zhang hit him with a playful punch since she knew what she was capable of. O'Neal wasn't satisfied with the jab and asked her to hit him again but this time as if she were in a real fight. Shaq took the blow and instantly got hurt and laughed it off while praising Zhang's strength.
"You hit hard," O'Neal commented on Zhang's instagram post of her punching the giant.
Looking back at when Shaquille O'Neal fought in the Octagon
Back in 2018, Shaquille O'Neal challenged UFC legend Forrest Griffin to a match inside the octagon. UFC CEO Dana White officiated the one-round bout between the two. Apparently, O'Neal worked on his grappling skills prior to their matchup. Griffin struggled to make the big man submit, which resulted in nobody winning the fight. It was a fun exchange between the two legends.
However, another UFC fighter unexpectedly assaulted Shaq from behind while he was still down on the ground. UFC Women's Fighter Claudia Gadelha decided to put the "Big Diesel" in a sleeper choke hold as it appeared she wasn't satisfied with the outcome of the initial match. O'Neal tapped and Dana White declared Gadelha the winner in a humorous moment among the athletes.
O'Neal opened up about his performance inside the octagon saying:
“I was only worried about not getting submitted. I’ve been doing it (MMA) but not on the level he has so I just had to stay safe and play it safe.
"But he was a strong fella and he said the same thing about me. I’m gonna blow my head up pretty high for not getting submitted because when you cross over into somebody’s sport talking all that trash you better be able to back it up.”
While it was interesting to see O'Neal make an appearance in the octagon, the big man himself admitted that he'll stay away from grappling with the fighters.
