The much-hyped potential fight between tech billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk continues to gain traction as the Meta CEO was pictured training with UFC champions.
UFC champs Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya posted photos from their training session with Zuckerberg on Instagram, an event the Meta CEO dubbed “an honor.”
In the photos, Zuckerberg, often perceived as more tech-nerd than athlete, showed off a surprisingly chiseled physique, sparking speculation that he might be serious about a potential showdown with Musk.
It isn’t the first time Zuckerberg has trained with Volkanovski.
The UFC featherweight champion, fresh off his fifth successful title defense at UFC 290, previously trained with Zuckerberg as part of a Metaverse virtual reality project. The champ also believes that the showdown with Musk could be more than just social media banter.
“I think it’s going to happen. And I’m telling you, Zuck’s competitive,” Volkanovski said.
“We know he’s already competed in jiu-jitsu, and he’s pretty athletic. He gets in there and I guess loves challenging himself, and this is going to be a challenge, something new, something exciting.”
While the spectacle of two tech giants stepping into the cage could be written off as a publicity stunt, Zuckerberg’s physical readiness and commitment to the sport seem to suggest otherwise.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
With a background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and an increasing alignment with the MMA community, the Meta CEO appears to be taking this feud seriously.
And it appears that mixed martial artists are already picking sides in this potential billionaire brawl as Musk was recently pictured training with retired UFC legend Georges St-Pierre.
The UFC has even started to monetize the feud, selling official merchandise branded with “Zuckerberg vs. Musk.”
Mark Zuckerberg won his first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament pic.twitter.com/us8vmTTEZ5
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) May 7, 2023
However, the proposed fight has not been without its critics. Some see the feud as an embarrassment, citing the juvenile exchanges between Musk and Zuckerberg on various social media platforms.
A recent tweet from Musk proposing a “literal dick measuring contest” was met with ridicule as the rivalry between Zuckerberg’s Threads and Musk’s Twitter continues to heat up.
Despite the controversy, UFC President Dana White appears optimistic about the fight, despite uncertainties regarding where or how it would even take place saying, “Whoever says no, every other state and country will say yes. It’s a billion dollars in revenue, this fight.”
As long as Zuckerberg and Musk appear ready to step into the cage, the potential ‘Battle of the Billionaires’ will undoubtedly continue attracting global attention.
