Currently the pound-for-pound top female fighter globally, Zhang is renowned for her physical prowess in the 115-pound division, and now basketball Hall of Famer Shaq understands why.
Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, who now weighs around 350 pounds, met UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili, who fights in the 115-pound division. Despite the vast difference in size, Weili defied physics by lifting the super heavyweight-sized O’Neal, reminiscent of her feat with Francis Ngannou.
UFC’s Zhang Weili Takes on Shaq
O’Neal appeared surprised by Weili’s single-leg lift, with his legs dangling in the air before returning to the ground. This all happened after O’Neal allowed Weili to deliver a punch to his midsection. While the punch wasn’t exceptionally hard, it still garnered a reaction from the towering basketball legend.
Weili’s energy is amazing. She’s great at connecting with people, even if they don’t speak the same language or have different backgrounds. This is something MMA can use more of, and Weili seems like she’ll keep doing it for a long time.
O’Neal is a big MMA fan and has been to several UFC events before. He once credited his own MMA training for his four NBA championships and even playfully talked about a potential MMA bout against Hong Man Choi.
Zhang successfully defended her strawweight title with a dominant win over Amanda Lemos at UFC 292.
