WATCH: NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal’s Heart Melting MMA Tribute to Disabled Army Veteran

The ground game of mixed martial arts is one of the most important and noteworthy aspects of the sport. Fighters who excelled in this realm have gone on to achieve great things in UFC and it seems like it has also gripped Legendary NBA player Shaquille O’Neal.

Standing at a massive 7 foot tall, Shag would make a daunting figure to face inside the octagon, but the retired basketball player found his true match in a 3 foot tall retired Army Veteran.

Shaquille O’Neal dubbed the army vet as his toughest opponent

In his time inside the MMA gym, Shaq faced off against a number of high-level grapplers. However, none of them managed to get through the giant wrestler, as he picked up wins against the majority of his competitors. The same cannot be said for his last opponent, who retired from the military after suffering a debilitating injury.

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Despite being in his state, the unyielding army veteran offered to step against the retired NBA player. The duo faced off each other in a 5-minute round and surprisingly, Shaq could not submit him. The bout ended up in a draw, as the duo battled each other to gain the upper hand. Shaq paid tribute to the retired veteran and also called him the toughest person in the gym.

” Believe it or not, but the toughest guy was the guy that came back from the military. I had to turn it up, every now and then, cause he would get on top of me and try to pin me. He was the strongest guy in there.”

Shaq’s been a massive fan of combat sports since UFC came into being. The 50-year-old retired professional player has made several appearances both during the shows and in the performance center.

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He is among the most vocal supporters of mixed martial arts and enjoys his free time training in the sport. He first picked up the training back in 2000 and hasn’t given up on it since.