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The O’Neal household has always been one to dive into different industries. Whether it is Myles the DJ or daughter Me’arah lighting up the basketball court, each has its own field. However, there is one common unifier for all of them. Whether you count dad Shaquille O’Neal or sons Myles and Shaqir, all of them are passionate about MMA. So, with the 31st installment of The Ultimate Fighter underway, the household was ready. The latest iteration of the show focused on two major names- Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler.

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While usually in the ring themselves, the two acted as coaches for a team of fighters. However, things haven’t been going too well for the Notorious Irishman.

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Team McGregor avoids the sweep

So far, the luck of the Irish had eluded Conor McGregor. Over the first 7 episodes, his record was 0-7. To make matters worse, his hopes depended on up-and-comer Rico DiSciullo to take down veteran Hunter Azure. The season which began on May 30, will run to a live finale on August 15th.

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Moreover, the promotion also has plans in place for a blowoff match between the coaches. Back to the fight at hand though, the scales were heavily against the young DiSciullo. But, the nerves got to both men, even though Azure came out on top in Round 1.

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However, both men put a much cleaner fight forward in Round 2. But, in the end, it was a video-game-like finish that put the underdog Rico on top. A hard leg kick followed by a hard overhand sent Azure to the floor. But DiSciullo put on the finishing touches with a violent double hammer fist, sealing the fight.

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As Conor McGregor celebrated avoiding the clean sweep, he ran up to the cage before getting into it with Team Chandler. And it seems like his victory has a fan in the Shaquille O’Neal household.

In the last few weeks, the O’Neals have been even more involved with the MMA world than they usually are. First, it was Shaq promoting the afterparty in UFC Vegas. Soon after, news broke about his son making his UFC “debut” with his set at the afterparty.

Read More: 9 Years After Father Shaquille O’Neal’s Promise to Dana White, Millionaire Son Myles O’Neal Set for UFC Debut of a Different Kind

Now, it seems like the family has been keenly watching TUF 31, as Shaqir O’Neal quickly uploaded a story celebrating Connor’s close call. With the finale still weeks away, it remains uncertain where the series will take us. Regardless, it seems like the seeds for the eventual McGregor-Chandler battle have been sown.

And, along with the world, Diesel and his family will have their eyes glued to the screen.

Watch This Story: UFC Champ Alexander Volkanovski Parties With DJ Diesel Shaquille O’Neal After UFC 290

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Priyanshu

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Priyanshu is an NBA beat Writer at EssentiallySports, with a healthy command over the technical aspects of the sport. Priyanshu has creatively covered the often entertaining interactions between legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley along with in-depth analysis of the games. He was at the forefront of the 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony, covering each and every aspect of the historic night in Springfield, Massachusetts. Furthermore, his article on Shaq and the UFC garnered close to a million pageviews. Moving away from the world of sports, Priyanshu is also an avid gamer, who can display other-worldly skills on NBA 2K.

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Pragya Vashisth

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