Conor McGregor has a fan in NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.
O’Neal is no MMA expert, but he’s definitely a fan of the sport. He was asked about McGregor’s return, and the four-time NBA champion said he has no doubt the former UFC double champion will get back to the top.
He thinks they’re both cut from the same cloth.
“I expect a great show,” O’Neal told Inside Fighting of McGregor’s return. “He’s always been a great showman. He’s always been a great competitor. Me and him have a similar type of blood. When you doubt us, that’s when we rise. They doubted him, he went to the top, took a couple of bumps, he went away for a while. He’s looking real good. I know he’s going to come back with vengeance.”
McGregor is set to return from a gruesome broken leg he suffered in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Having lost three of his past four, McGregor will look to rebound when he faces Michael Chandler later this year after they complete filming on “The Ultimate Fighter 31,” which debuts May 30 on ESPN and ESPN+.
With McGregor still being the biggest star in the UFC, many, such as Michael Bisping, expect him to be granted a title shot with a win over Chandler, and O’Neal sees him becoming champ once again.
“Of course, I know he will,” O’Neal said.
Shaq believes Conor McGregor will ‘come back with vengeance’ and be UFC champ again