The day after Elon Musk challenged Mark Zuckerberg on social media to “a cage match” this month, Dana White, president of the Final Combating Championship, acquired a textual content.
It was from Mr. Zuckerberg, chief government of Meta. He requested Mr. White, who heads the world’s premier blended martial arts competitors, which is fought in cage-like rings, if Mr. Musk was critical a few combat.
Mr. White known as Mr. Musk, who runs Tesla, Twitter and SpaceX, and confirmed that he was keen to throw down. Mr. White then relayed that to Mr. Zuckerberg. In response, Mr. Zuckerberg posted on Instagram: “Ship Me Location,” a reference to the catchphrase of Khabib Nurmagomedov, one of many U.F.C.’s most adorned athletes.
Since then, Mr. White mentioned, he has talked to the tech billionaires individually each evening to arrange the showdown. On Tuesday, he mentioned, he was “on the telephone with these two till 12:45 within the morning.” He added, “They each wish to do it.”
In case you thought {that a} cage combat between two of the world’s richest males was only a far-fetched social media stunt, suppose once more.
Over the previous 10 days, Mr. White mentioned he, Mr. Musk and Mr. Zuckerberg — aided by advisers — have negotiated behind the scenes and are inching towards bodily fight. Whereas there are not any ensures a match will occur, the broad contours of an occasion are taking form, mentioned Mr. White and three individuals with information of the discussions.
The combat can be an exhibition match, Mr. White mentioned, and outdoors official U.F.C. jurisdiction and rights offers, although he would assist produce the occasion. The tech leaders have agreed there ought to be a charity part, Mr. White and an individual conversant in the talks mentioned, with particulars nonetheless being labored out. The popular location is Las Vegas, which requires approval from the Nevada Athletic Fee. On Thursday, Mr. Musk tweeted that the occasion may additionally occur within the Roman Colosseum.
Mr. Zuckerberg’s associates and advisers have typically supported the match, two individuals near him mentioned, although others mentioned a combat can be a distraction and never one of the best use of his time. One individual near Mr. Musk mentioned that whereas he hated sports activities and didn’t seem to have the self-discipline to coach repeatedly, nobody may rule something out with him.
If the matchup between Mr. Musk, 52, and Mr. Zuckerberg, 39, goes forward, it could be a uncommon spectacle, even within the braggadocio-filled universe of the tech business. Whereas Steve Jobs and Invoice Gates used to snipe at one another, the closest the tech world had earlier than this to actual sporting feuds was amongst billionaire yachtsmen like Larry Ellison of Oracle and Hasso Plattner of SAP.
However two wildly rich tech titans grappling, punching and kicking in a Las Vegas or Roman enviornment? Nobody would have dreamed it.
Meta declined to remark. Mr. Musk didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Mr. Zuckerberg and Mr. Musk have lengthy teetered between being rivals, frenemies and outright enemies. The 2 have criticized one another through the years, together with about Mr. Musk’s SpaceX rockets, information privateness scandals at Meta and extra. Most not too long ago, Mr. Zuckerberg dispatched a workforce at Meta to construct a competitor to Mr. Musk’s Twitter, code-named Undertaking 92.
In the event that they take their rivalry past these jibes, the U.F.C.’s Mr. White mentioned he had issues concerning the bodily gaps between the billionaires. Aside from their 13-year age distinction, Mr. Musk is alleged to be at the least 70 kilos heavier than Mr. Zuckerberg. In official blended martial arts bouts, athletes are typically matched up by weight.
“We’ve got two guys which have by no means professionally fought, they usually’re in two utterly completely different weight courses,” Mr. White mentioned. Nonetheless, he mentioned, “will probably be the largest combat within the historical past of fight sports activities.”
Mr. Zuckerberg is particularly conversant in the U.F.C. world. Over the previous 18 months, he has launched into a private journey to bulk up and dove deep into Brazilian jujitsu, a grappling martial artwork through which rivals attempt to submit their opponent and which is utilized in U.F.C. preventing.
Mr. Zuckerberg began coaching on a lark largely in his storage in 2021, the place he constructed what he known as a “mini academy” with a circle of associates who spar with him. He has mentioned he appreciated that Brazilian jujitsu required “100% focus” and strategic pondering to defeat an opponent, somewhat than brute power.
Mr. Zuckerberg has sought out martial arts specialists, together with Dave Camarillo, James Terry and Khai Wu. In Could, he competed in his first public martial arts event in Redwood Metropolis, Calif., which he attended undercover — up till the second he took off his hat and sun shades to combat. He gained gold and silver medals within the problem.
Final 12 months, Meta additionally introduced it had partnered with the U.F.C. to convey blended martial arts fights to Horizon Worlds, its digital actuality app.
Mr. White mentioned Mr. Zuckerberg was actually devoted to the game.
“I’ve been speaking to Zuckerberg now for possibly shut to 2 years now,” he mentioned. “And there’s by no means like banter or we’re joking and laughing.” He mentioned the Meta chief government was “lifeless critical on a regular basis.”
Mr. Zuckerberg is probably going in preventing form. He has been on a strict exercise routine, going for runs and difficult associates and colleagues to beat his occasions, two individuals near him mentioned. This month, he posted a private file for finishing the “Murph” problem, which requires finishing a collection of pull-ups, push-ups, working a number of miles and doing a whole lot of squats, all whereas sporting weighted, military-grade physique armor.
“Doing sports activities that mainly require your full consideration, I believe, is de facto vital to my psychological well being and the best way to remain targeted on the whole lot I’m doing,” he mentioned in a latest podcast episode.
Mr. Musk, then again, has tweeted that he “nearly by no means” works out and as soon as suffered a back injury that required surgical procedure after taking part in an exhibition with a sumo wrestler. This month, he said he had skilled in “judo, Kyokushin (full contact)” — two Japanese martial arts — and “no guidelines streetfighting.”
“He made that very clear: ‘I’m not going to lose any weight,’” Mr. White mentioned of Mr. Musk’s strategy to the potential matchup. “‘Are we going to combat or are we not going to combat?’” Mr. White mentioned Mr. Musk advised him.
This week, Lex Fridman, a podcaster, posted images of himself coaching judo with Mr. Musk. Mr. Fridman, who has additionally skilled jujitsu with Mr. Zuckerberg, didn’t reply to a request for remark.
No less than one individual doesn’t look like a fan of a combat: Maye Musk, Mr. Musk’s mom.
“Don’t encourage this match!” she not too long ago tweeted, together with two frowning emojis.
Read the full article here
