Ardo
06-18-2009, 12:36 AM
Shaquille O'Neal: hoopster, twitter fan, MMA fighter? ([Only registered and activated users can see links])
By Maggie Hendricks
[Only registered and activated users can see links] seems that everywhere, people are catching on to the benefits of learning mixed martial arts. Everyone includes basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal, who is spending his off-season training at Jonathan Burke's Gracie Gym ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) in Orlando.
O'Neal, who is listed at 7'2" and 325 lbs., goes by his old nickname at the gym, Diesel. He's been training with Burke for 10 years, where he does the full gamut of MMA, boxing, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and wrestling. Cagewriter spoke with Burke who said that O'Neal is in great shape, and loves the nature of the training.
"We can work drills 20 times through, and he works his tail off on everything," Burke said. "He has way more talent with this stuff than people would imagine."
O'Neal's specialty? [/URL], it's pain. Shaq-fu is said to have some killer knees as well as a phenomenal rear naked choke. He isn't the only athlete to try MMA, as former Redskins wide receiver Michael Westbrook is [URL="[Only registered and activated users can see links]"]now a jiu-jitsu player ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) who won his only MMA match. Marcus Jones, a six-year NFL veteran, turned to MMA in retirement, and has won four fights. Will Shaq ever enter the cage?
"Not while he's playing," Burke said. "But you never know."
O'Neal recently told former UFC champ ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) Chuck Liddell in a Twitter Post to look out for him. The upper weight of the UFC is 265 lbs., but with Jose Canseco fighting a 7'2" kickboxer in Japan ([Only registered and activated users can see links]), anything can happen. He just may be the first athlete to hold four NBA championship rings and a title belt.
---------------------------------
I knew nothign about this....
By Maggie Hendricks
[Only registered and activated users can see links] seems that everywhere, people are catching on to the benefits of learning mixed martial arts. Everyone includes basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal, who is spending his off-season training at Jonathan Burke's Gracie Gym ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) in Orlando.
O'Neal, who is listed at 7'2" and 325 lbs., goes by his old nickname at the gym, Diesel. He's been training with Burke for 10 years, where he does the full gamut of MMA, boxing, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and wrestling. Cagewriter spoke with Burke who said that O'Neal is in great shape, and loves the nature of the training.
"We can work drills 20 times through, and he works his tail off on everything," Burke said. "He has way more talent with this stuff than people would imagine."
O'Neal's specialty? [/URL], it's pain. Shaq-fu is said to have some killer knees as well as a phenomenal rear naked choke. He isn't the only athlete to try MMA, as former Redskins wide receiver Michael Westbrook is [URL="[Only registered and activated users can see links]"]now a jiu-jitsu player ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) who won his only MMA match. Marcus Jones, a six-year NFL veteran, turned to MMA in retirement, and has won four fights. Will Shaq ever enter the cage?
"Not while he's playing," Burke said. "But you never know."
O'Neal recently told former UFC champ ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) Chuck Liddell in a Twitter Post to look out for him. The upper weight of the UFC is 265 lbs., but with Jose Canseco fighting a 7'2" kickboxer in Japan ([Only registered and activated users can see links]), anything can happen. He just may be the first athlete to hold four NBA championship rings and a title belt.
---------------------------------
I knew nothign about this....