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“Disgusting Display of Cowardice”: Shaquille O’Neal Joins Outraged Fans as “Unfair” and Illegal Move in an Underground Face-Off Goes Viral

Published 06/10/2023, 7:55 AM EDT

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Shaquille O’Neal has proven time and time again that he knows how to utilize his platform in the right way. With millions of fans eagerly following his every move, the legendary NBA player understands the power of his influence and uses it to bring attention to anything worth viewing. Recently, the sports world witnessed an unfortunate incident that shook the combat community, highlighting a lack of sportsmanship. As we all know, combat sports, by their very nature, involve aggression and intense competition. It’s in the face-off, where tensions run high, that things often become the most heated.

Combat sports fans have seen all kinds of face-offs, where fighters exchange verbal jabs, showcasing their confidence and mental fortitude. However, it’s no secret that sometimes these face-offs can go wrong, resulting in disrespectful behavior and unsportsmanlike conduct. Recently, one particular incident caught the attention of both NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and fans across the internet. It exemplified a blatant lack of sportsmanship and left many disappointed.

An immoral face-off disgusts Shaquille O’Neal and MMA fans

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Shaq, taking action on his convictions, posted a clip of a recent face-off on his Instagram story. The video unveiled a shocking display of one fighter launching two immoral blows at his opponent. The video shared by Shaq instantly caught the attention of his fans, who flooded the comments section with expressions of dismay and disappointment.

People were enraged and did not hesitate blowing up the comment section of the Instagram post.

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Check out how the fans reacted to this:

  • “only reason he did that is cuz he knows he’d lose a fair fight”
  • “Unfair and cheap af”
  • “Cheap shots”
  • “No honour”
  • Should be banned immediately from all fighting sports and pay a fine to the other guy as well”

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  • “That’s criminal. Press charges.”
  •  “must be banned 👎”
  • “He should ashamed of that act”
  • Disgusting display of cowardice to strike a man 2x to the throat with his hands behind his back.”
  • “A man who does that will get the most worst beating sometime in their life. KARMA ALWAY WIN..”

The lack of sportsmanship exhibited in this video cast a dark shadow over the world of combat sports. It was a stain on the reputation of athletes who dedicate themselves to their craft and the values of fair play. O’Neal has immense respect for MMA fighters and credits the sport for his excellence in NBA. Yet aggression is a part of combat sports and face-offs often go wrong because of the atmosphere and excitement.

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What are your thoughts on this face-off? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch this story: Francis Ngannou Trolls Dana White While Speaking at Harvard Business School

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Written by:

Mayur Soni

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Mayur Soni is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. His journey as an MMA fan started with Conor McGregor’s historic 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo in 2015, which sparked his love for the sport. Since then, he has closely followed the sport and gained an in-depth understanding of its nuances, which reflects in his insightful and analytical writing.
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Edited by:

Rohini Kottu