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“I Did Jiu-Jitsu With [Shaquille O’Neal]: Rare Social Media Promotion Forces UFC Analyst To Reveal 7’1” Giant’s Prowess

Published 03/02/2024, 12:45 AM EST

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Shaquille O’Neal is truly the jack of all trades. From business to DJing, there is not much the 51-year-old hasn’t tried his hand in. While he has previously stated his love for MMA, another one of his talents came to light thanks to a UFC analyst. The 4x NBA champion is not only interested in Jiu-Jitsu, he is seemingly great at it. He has been learning the art of Jiu-Jitsu and shares captivating highlights or matchups from the academy he is closely associated with. 

Just recently, he shared a clip of a matchup from the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy on his Instagram. However, in the comments section, Din Thomas, a famed UFC analyst, detailed how he once lost to O’Neal in Jiu Jitsu. I did Jiu-jitsu with @shaq. He’s impossible to deal with.”  Well, that is understandable given how the Lakers legend has been practicing Jiu-Jitsu since 2001.

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The Big Man of the league isn’t unfamiliar with martial arts. Along with dominating the basketball court, the champ also learned, boxing, wrestling, and more. Thomas is also one of the few who had the opportunity to train the Big Aristotle. Needless to mention, Shaq has been great in everything he does. He didn’t even bat an eye to defeat trained Jiu-Jitsu practitioners.

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Shaquille O’Neal’s talent outshines everything 

The Los Angeles Lakers legend’s face-off with UFC star Forest Griffin remains one of the most memorable bouts in the sport’s history. He is the biggest fan of UFC and has been present in numerous of big fights and events. He even shares a great friendship with Dana White. That makes us wonder what if the legend had gone into MMA or football instead of basketball. 

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Even in Jiu Jitsu, the 4 x champion puts in equal effort and dedication. Thomas’ claim about O’Neal’s prowess comes as no surprise after how the legend once easily defeated two practitioners. He often makes sudden visits to the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy for training. During the training, he went on to tackle four trained jiu-jitsu practitioners. Two of them were of the highest caliber with black belts. However, that was quite far from intimidating for him. He engaged in a five-minute battle against them and went on to defeat most of them with his strength. The clip was even shared in one of the segments of TNT’s show. We can only imagine how easy it might have been for O’Neal to defeat Thomas. What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Pritha Debroy

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Pritha is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. After reporting on the luxurious lifestyle of celebrities for a year, she used that experience to cover the glamor side of the basketball world. She has expertly covered Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan's complicated love story and the lavish vacations of NBA superstars, among other off-court scoops.
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Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth