A “cage match” between billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg might actually happen, as talks over the event have reportedly progressed.
The day after Musk challenged Zuckerberg on social media to “a cage match,” the Facebook (now known as Meta) CEO texted Dana White, the president of the UFC, asking who heads the world’s premier mixed martial arts competition, according to a report by the New York Times.
Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., speaks via video link during the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. The second annual Qatar Economic Forum convenes global business leaders and heads of state to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, through the lens of the Middle East. Photographer: Christopher Pike/Bloomberg
Mark Zuckerberg martial arts tourney (Facebook)
White then reportedly called Musk to ask if he was serious about a cage match with Zuckerberg, to which the Tesla CEO responded by confirming that he was. White then relayed the information to Zuckerberg, who then posted “Send Me Location” on Instagram, in reference to UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov’s catchphrase.
Since then, White said he has been in communication with Musk and Zuckerberg separately each night to organize the fight.
While there is no guarantee that the cage fight will happen, White and another person familiar with the talks told the New York Times that the broad outline of the event is currently taking shape.
“They both want to do it,” White added.
The UFC president added that the showdown would be an exhibition match, and that while it wouldn’t be part of official UFC jurisdiction and rights deals, he would help produce the fight. The preferred location is Las Vegas.
White added that Musk and Zuckerberg have agreed the cage match should have a charity component.
If the fight between the two billionaires — who have criticized each other over the years — actually transpires, it will be the first of its kind.
White, however, expressed concern over the physical gaps between the 52-year-old SpaceX CEO and the 39-year-old FacebookCEO. Aside from their age difference, Musk is believed to be at least 70 pounds heavier than Zuckerberg.
“We have two guys that have never professionally fought, and they’re in two completely different weight classes,” White said.
Nonetheless, “it will be the biggest fight in the history of combat sports,” the U.F.C. president added.
Meanwhile, Zuckerberg has spent the last 18 months trying to “bulk up” and train in Brazilian jujitsu, the New York Times reported.
In May, the Meta CEO competed in his first public martial arts tournament in California. He reportedly won gold and silver medals in the challenge. Meanwhile, Musk was recently seen training in Judo with podcaster Lex Fridman.
Two people close to Zuckerberg conveyed to the New York Times that he is in fighting shape. They say he has been on a strict workout regimen and going for runs. He also challenging friends and colleagues to beat his times.
Musk, on the other hand, has tweeted that he “almost never” works out and once suffered a back injury that required surgery after participating in an exhibition with a sumo wrestler.
White told the New York Times that Musk has flat out told him, “I’m not going to lose any weight” ahead of his potential fight against Zuckerberg.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.