Shaquille O’Neal might have brushed up on his Polish for his latest adventure, and it’s safe to say Poland was loving every moment of it! After his epic Bass Tour across Europe, Shaq landed in Warsaw, ready to make it a memorable day for basketball fans with his “Hey, This Is Shaq” charity event. But he wasn’t the only star lighting up the stage—an ex-UFC champion also showed up to thrill the crowd with his charisma.

Amidst launching Reebok’s new venture in Poland and creating a unique crossover moment with the UFC star, Shaq didn’t miss the chance to hit the court. He played a few games with budding basketball talents and even threw down in a slam dunk contest with the kids. It wasn’t just about the fun and games, though. As reported by Gytis Masiulis of BasketNews, there was a surprisingly touching moment between the basketball legend and the young fans, highlighting the impact Shaq has far beyond the court.

It was a day packed with excitement, surprises, and heartfelt connections. Shaq proved once again that wherever he goes, he brings joy and inspiration, making Warsaw a little brighter and leaving everyone wondering what he’ll do next.

Shaquille O’Neal and the UFC star have a blast with kids on the basketball court

Along with the basketball legend polish UFC Champions Jan Blachowicz & Joanna Jedrzejczyk also graced the event. There was a wholesome moment in the video where the ex-UFC champion and the basketball MVP shared some interactions before the event started.

The show saw kids and some amateur basketball athletes flex their talent. In the same YouTube video, Shaq was interacting with the fans in the end and he became pretty emotional. He was seen saying, “I didn’t know what to expect. This is my first time here. Haven’t played basketball in 15,20 years. People know like I said the people have been very nice. So I have no other alternative than to be nice, so thank you people of Poland. Thank you, CCC.”

The UFC star, Blachowicz,  also interacted with the fans and had a great time at the charity event. The 41-year-old has been out of the cage for almost one year. He faced light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira at UFC 291. While the Polish star had more success than most athletes he still suffered a split-decision loss against the Brazilian champion. However, he might be planning on returning to the cage very soon.

Jan Blachowicz planning to return to the Octagon in December

In the last few months, he has called for a rematch with the Brazilian star. However, right now Pereira is booked against Khalil Rountree for UFC 307. Even so, Blachowicz had taken to social media a month ago and discussed his return to the octagon. He revealed that he had plans to fight in December and added that he had called the UFC himself to get a fight booked. He posted on X, “Woke up today. I drank my favorite coffee, walked with my dog, and played with Jan Jr. A normal day but something was different. I called the UFC Office. I told them: Sign me up for December. Feels like my old version is back. I’m back.”

Not only did he post this but recently he also spoke about Khalil Rountree being the opponent for Pereira insinuating that there were “better contenders” than the War Horse. He wrote on X, “With all due respect to Khalil there are at least two higher-ranked contenders who are ready to fight Poatan. He doesn’t need special protection.”  Maybe he is insinuating himself as a probable competitor to Poatan. 

Ahead of that, he was seen with the basketball legend and the charity event and now he might be gearing up for another appearance in UFC. However, given that he had a loss and a layoff he will need to fight someone else to earn a title shot. Do you think he’s going to come back with a bang or does he need a push? Tell us in the comments below.