‘That’s the first time I’ve ever been picked up’: Shaquille O’Neal gets up close and personal with Francis Ngannou
MMA

‘That’s the first time I’ve ever been picked up’: Shaquille O’Neal gets up close and personal with Francis Ngannou

Ngannou showed off impressive strength, lifting the 325-pound O’Neal above his head like he was nothing.

By John Balfe - 20 Apr 2020

NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal made a career out of dominating defensive players on the court but through his Hall of Fame career he was never manhandled in quite the same way he was when he met UFC heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou recently.

O’Neal, who is a noted fan of mixed martial arts, met the Cameroonian slugger in the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas over the weekend — and what was intended as a simple snap for the ‘gram quickly showed O’Neal exactly the type of athlete that Ngannou is, as he picked up the 300+ pounder as if he was a featherweight.

Check out the footage below.

Ngannou is currently scheduled to fight the undefeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik at the recently-announced UFC event on May 9. Details regarding the event remain scant but, per Dana White, it is to be headlined by the Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje bout originally intended to take place last weekend.

The event also features a further two title bouts, with Henry Cejudo due to defend against Dominck Cruz while Felicia Spencer will challenge Amanda Nunes for the women’s featherweight championship.

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