Mark Zuckerberg Pushes Back Against Elon Musk's Desire To Control MMA Fight

BYBen Mock842 Views
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(COMBO/FILES) This combination of file photographs created on June 22, 2023 shows SpaceX, Twitter and electric car maker Tesla CEO Elon Musk during his visit at the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris on June 16, 2023 (R) and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg testifying before the House Financial Services Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC on October 23, 2019. Tech titans Zuckerberg and Musk are in a fierce business rivalry that has spilt over into a playground spat, with the two men offering to fight each other in a cage. (Photo by Mandel NGAN and Alain JOCARD / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN,ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images)
It appears that the fight is off again for the moment.

The proposed MMA fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg is once in doubt. The fight has been linked to the UFC as long as it's been a possibility. However, Musk made the unusual decision to cut ties with the Dana White org. In a tweet, the X/Twitter owner said the UFC was no longer in the picture and that "The fight will be managed by my and Zuck’s foundations." He also said the fight would occur in an "epic location" and mentioned Italy. This comes just a day after White had said he was in active negotiations with the Italian government for the use of the Colosseum as a venue.

Furthermore, it appears that Zuckerberg didn't get the "bye bye UFC" memo. Speaking on Threads, Zuckerberg cast doubt that the fight would go ahead. "Please assume anything [Musk] says has not been agreed on," the Meta founder wrote. "Not holding my breath for Elon, but I'll share details on my next fight when I'm ready," he added. "When I compete, I want to do it in a way that puts a spotlight on the elite athletes at the top of the game. You do that by working with professional orgs like the UFC or ONE to pull this off well and create a great card."

Musk Balks, Needs Surgery

 

 
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However, Elon's desire to wrestle control of the fight from the UFC is not the only reason the fight is being shelved. Musk has revealed that he is undergoing minor surgery to rectify an issue with his shoulder blade. This means that he will be out of action for several months. The fight likely wouldn't happen before UFC 300 anyway. Even then, Musk will need time to recover and resume training before he was ready to fight again.

Despite this, there is an interesting part of Zuckerberg's statement that appears to be going largely overlooked. Not holding my breath for Elon, but I'll share details on my next fight when I'm ready." Does this mean that Zuckerberg is planning an MMA debut without Musk? After all, he takes his combat sports very seriously and even has a practice octagon in his backyard. Perhaps one of the reasons that Musk was unwilling to leave Dana White was because he has bigger plans for the UFC beyond his gimmick fight with Musk. This remains a developing story and we'll have any updates here at HotNewHipHop.

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About The Author
Benjamin Mock (they/them) is a sports and culture writer working out of Philadelphia. Previously writing for the likes of Fixture, Dexerto, Fragster, and Jaxon, Ben has dedicated themselves to engaging and accessible articles about sports, esports, and internet culture. With a love for the weirder stories, you never quite know what to expect from their work.
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