Alexander Volkanovski doesn't stand in the shadow of any fighters in the UFC - but he was dwarfed by basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal.
Volkanovski is currently ranked top of the UFC's pound-for-pound list after he continued his remarkable stint as featherweight champion with a trilogy win over Max Holloway. The Australian wants to further cement his legacy with the promotion by becoming the latest double champion with a move to lightweight.
Volkanovski has been taking time away from camp as he awaits his next fight date and met up with former four-time NBA champion O'Neal. Volkanovski pretended to throw punches at the former basketball centre with the pair laughing and joking in the footage before posting for a photo.
Volkanovski's caption provided a comical salute to the huge size difference between the pair, with Volkanovski writing: "Absolute legend! Why I shouldn't hang out basketball players?" O'Neal stands a huge seven feet tall, in comparison to the champion who stands at just five foot six inches in comparison.
The legendary centre also weighs around 325lb which is significantly within the UFC heavyweight limit, while Volkanovski weighs a remarkable 180lb less than O'Neal at 145lb for his featherweight bouts. O'Neal has played for six teams during his time NBA including the LA Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics before he retired in 2011.
Volkanovski is looking to have a similarly impactful career in the UFC having made a wealth of successful title defences at featherweight. This could involve a leap to 155lb where an immediate title challenge could be presented against the winner of Charles Oliveira's tilt with Islam Makhachev that takes place in Abu Dhabi on October 22.
And Volkanovski would like Oliveira to progress through the bout to secure the "bigger" fight. “At the end of the day, I just want the belt. What do you think the bigger fight is? I think the bigger fight is definitely Charles Oliveira,” Volkanovski explained on The MMA Hour. “I think he’s got so much hype on him. We know it’s going to be an exciting fight, he’s so exciting to watch. There’s a reason he’s so exciting to watch.
