Shaquille O'Neal to invest in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, saying the firm has the 'toughest athletes in the world'

• Shaquille O'Neal plans to invest in the bloodiest show in town.
• The NBA great was ringside for KnuckleMania — a marquee Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event.
• USA Today reports that after the show he said he wants to buy a stake in the brutal business.

Shaquille O'Neal likes the brutal sport of bare-knuckle boxing so much he plans to invest in its lead organization the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, according to USA Today.

The 48-year-old is a former four-time NBA champion, a combat sports fan, and is an active investor.

He was ringside for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship's highly-anticipated KnuckleMania show, which was headlined by two women's featherweights, Paige VanZant and Britain Hart.

Speaking to the American outlet, O'Neal marveled at the competitors: "These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,'' he said.

"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 presented the BKFC lightweight title to Dat Nguyen after the Vietnamese brawler beat Johnny Bedford during the sole championship bout at the event.

He would have also seen Hart beat VanZant, Chris Leben out-battle Quentin Henry, and a particularly gruesome bout between Taylor Starling and Charisa Sigala that was so bloody it reddened the canvas.

BKFC boss David Feldman said he'd be delighted to welcome O'Neal on board.

"Now 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.''

Feldman added that Shaq is close to making the investment, saying that it is now a matter of "dotting the i's and crossing t's.''

BKFC was only founded in 2018 but has steadily grown in popularity in its short existence.

Notable fights so far include a ghastly war between Artem Lobov and Jason Knight, a high-profile fight involving Lobov and the former boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi, and a wild, record-breaking, three-second knockout in 2020.

KnuckleMania was not the first BKFC event O'Neal has attended. He was also ringside for the last show, BKFC 15 on December 11 in Biloxi, Missouri, USA Today reported.