The two tech billionaires apparently agreed in late June to go head-to-head. Whether a physical fight will actually take place is unknown, but Musk and Zuckerberg have continued to stoke interest in the potential fight by exchanging subtle attacks online, most recently on Sunday when Musk said the fight would be streamed live on his site X, previously known as Twitter.
Musk added that the proceeds from the fight will go to a charity for veterans. On his Threads social media account, Zuckerberg responded: “Shouldn’t we use a more trusted platform that can actually raise money for charity?” In a subsequent post, the CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta said he was not impatient for the fight.
“I am ready today. When he challenged me the first time I suggested August 26, but he has not confirmed, ”wrote Zuckerberg, who practices mixed martial arts and earlier this year shared posts of his first participation in a jiu jitsu tournament. “I love this sport and I will continue to compete with people who train no matter what happens here.”
Early Sunday, Musk revealed that he was training for the fight by lifting weights. He later addressed the timing of the fight, noting that the date is “still changing” due to him having an MRI scheduled and possibly surgery.
“I’m having an MRI of my neck and upper back tomorrow,” Musk wrote Sunday night. “He may require surgery before the fight can take place. I’ll find out this week.”
The topic of the fight started in June, when Musk, owner of X, responded to a tweet about Meta’s preparations for the launch of a new Twitter rival called Threads. He launched into a critique that the world was “solely under Zuck’s thumb with no other options,” but then a Twitter user jokingly warned Musk about Zuckerberg’s jiu jitsu training.
“I’m ready for a cage fight if he is,” Musk wrote. After Zuckerberg apparently agreed, Musk proposed the Las Vegas Octagon.
Whether or not Musk and Zuckerberg step into the Las Vegas Octagon remains to be seen, particularly considering how often Musk tweets about his actions prematurely or leaves them unfinished. But even if the deal turns out to be just a joke, the prelude garnered attention and spawned an endless stream of “Choose Your Fighter” themed memes and posts.
Meta, X and the UFC — which owns the Octagon — did not respond to requests for comment Monday from The Associated Press.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
