Max Griffin is not a small dude but he felt like an infant in the presence of Shaquille O’Neal.
Griffin (16-8) caught up with Fightful prior to his fight with Son Kenan at UFC Vegas 22 on March 20. Griffin competes in the UFC’s welterweight division (170-pounds) and stands approximately six-feet tall. Keep in mind, Griffin cuts weight to make welterweight and likely walks around heavier.
Griffin reflected on his meetings with NBA players Shaq and Dwight Howard. He said the television screen does not do justice to just how large of a man O’Neal really is.
“Have you seen Shaq in person?!? He’s huge! He’s like a refrigerator. I was in Atlanta and beat the brakes off that Russian (Zelim Imadev), and I’m backstage, and Shaq is about as wide as he is tall,” he chuckled. “You wouldn’t know. I look like a little baby, I felt like a little baby. He shook my hand and his hand went completely over my hand and wrist. I felt like such a little, you know what. Felt so small. Huge man.”
“I met Dwight Howard at my first fight in the UFC at the Red Rocks Hotel, USADA had to pee test me, and I’m walking with my cup, and I’m just about to go pee in the cup, and then big ass Dwight Howard as I’ve got my cup,” Griffin chuckled.
UFC Vegas 22 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, March 20. The ESPN+ card is headlined by middleweight contenders Derek Brunson and Kevin Holland. Keep up with Fightful for all your event-related coverage.
Fightful has all of your MMA needs covered. Follow us on Twitter for updates, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, lists, news updates and predictions.
