Shaquille O'Neal names Israel Adesanya and pro wrestling legend among the modern-era UFC fighters in his Mount Rushmore

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal recently shared his picks for fighters he believes should be honored on the UFC's Mount Rushmore.

In a recent discussion with The Schmo, Shaq named several fighters from the past that he thinks deserve a spot on this prestigious list.

"Tim Sylvia, Tito Ortiz, and what's the guy to beat Tito? - Chuck Liddell..."

The 52-year-old picked a separate list of fighters among the later generations of fighters, stating:

"The new ones - Stylebender [Israel Adesanya], Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov and then, Brock Lesnar."

Check out Shaquille O'Neal's comments below (2:04):

The concept of Mount Rushmore in sports is derived from the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Pennington County, South Dakota.

It is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore that features the faces of American presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Each president represents the nation's birth, growth, development, and preservation.

Unlike the MMA GOAT argument, which revolves around the competitive achievements of fighters, the idea of Mount Rushmore involves the contribution of fighters to the growth of MMA and revolutionizing the sport.

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A brief overview of the resume of Israel Adesanya, Brock Lesnar, and other fighters in Shaquille O'Neal's UFC Mount Rushmore

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is widely regarded as the second-greatest middleweight in the promotion's history, behind Anderson Silva. During his rise through the rankings and his title reign, "The Last Stylebender" defeated elite competitors such as Robert Whittaker, Alex Pereira, and Yoel Romero, and Anderson Silva, among others.

Brock Lesnar played a significant role in expanding the global footprint of MMA when he transitioned from professional wrestling to MMA in the late 2000s. Despite having relatively little experience, Lesnar won the UFC heavyweight title and faced renowned opponents like Cain Velasquez, Alistair Overeem, Randy Couture, and Shane Carwin, delivering several memorable performances.

Similar to Lesnar, Conor McGregor is acclaimed for achieving immense commercial success and significantly contributing to the UFC's global expansion. Eight of the top ten highest-grossing UFC pay-per-view events were headlined by McGregor. Competitively, the Irishman made history by becoming the first-ever two-division champion in UFC history.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is arguably the most dominant champion in UFC history. The Dagestani fighter revolutionized MMA grappling with the Dagestani style of wrestling and retired with an undefeated record of 29-0. Aside from the third round in his fight against Conor McGregor, Nurmagomedov never lost a round on any judge's scorecard throughout his professional MMA career.

Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, former UFC light heavyweight champions, were among the biggest MMA stars during the early years of the UFC's divisional era. They were among the longest-reigning light heavyweight champions of their generation, alongside Frank Shamrock, and were engaged in one of the most significant rivalries of their time, culminating in two fights where Liddell won by knockout on both occasions.

Meanwhile, Tim Sylvia, a former two-time UFC heavyweight champion, holds the record for the second-most title fight victories (five) in the heavyweight division.