Shaquille O'Neal (right) with BKFC President David Feldman - BKFC 15 - Photo by Phil Lambert for BKFC
Shaquille O’Neal Looking to Invest in Bare Knuckle FC
Shaquille O’Neal is a fan of bare-knuckle boxing and he likes it so much, he is likely to invest in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships (BKFC) soon.
“The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting,” O’Neal told USA Today. “These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world.”
The deal is close according to BKFC President David Feldman who said the deal is pretty much done and he could not be more excited to have O’Neal come on as an investor.
“We’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’
BKFC held one of their biggest events recently with “ Knuckle Mania” that featured the final fight of Chris Leben’s combat sports career and the debut of former UFC fighter, Paige VanZant. Leben walked away from fighting with a win but VanZant fell short in her debut. Whatever is unique about the sport, O’Neal seems to enjoy it enough to be a part of it.
Feldman told MyMMANews before the event, “This one is just special. Especially because it kind of solidifies us like we’re moving into the mainstream now.”
That seems to be the case with the investor interest coming from O’Neal. O’Neal discovered the sport through a friend and says, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’
BKFC’s next event is BKFC 16 on March 19 with the main event between Leonard Garcia and Joe Elmore. Check out their official website for details on how to watch.
Do you think “Shaq” will be there?
