Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he’s “ready today” to fight Elon Musk in a cage match, but is not very optimistic that the proposed fight between the two billionaires will take place.
Posting on his new social media platform Threads, Zuckerberg said he suggested August 26 to his fellow tech entrepreneur as a date for the fight, but Twitter owner Musk has not responded.
Zuckerberg doubts Musk
“I’m ready today. I suggested August 26 when he first challenged, but he hasn’t confirmed. Not holding my breath,” the Meta chief said, in response to Musk’s post on Twitter, now known as X.
On August 6, Musk tweeted that proceeds of the fight would go to “charity for veterans.” The Tesla CEO also said he is “lifting weights throughout the day, preparing for the fight. Don’t have time to work out, so I just bring them to work.”
A video on Twitter showed Musk lifting a dumbbell while in his San Francisco office. “This is me curling a 45 so there you go,” he says in the video.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 4, 2023
On the night of Sunday, August 6, Elon Musk appeared to address the question regarding the fight date proposed by Facebook founder Zuckerberg.
“Exact date is still in flux,” Musk wrote on X. “I’m getting an MRI of my neck and upper back tomorrow [Monday]. May require surgery before the fight can happen. Will know this week.”
Mocking X
Musk and Zuckerberg have been discussing the possibility of a UFC-style cage fight for a while now. The billionaires agreed to the fight in June when Musk wrote he was “up for a cage fight” in response to reports Meta was launching Threads, a Twitter rival.
“Send me the location,” Zuckerberg replied: “Vegas octagon,” Musk said. While no date has been formally announced, Musk revealed over the weekend the fight would be broadcast live on X. Zuckerberg responded to the claim with a subtle jab at his would-be opponent.
“Shouldn’t we use a more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity?” he quipped – a suggestion that Facebook and Instagram may have a built-in fundraising feature.
Also read: Twitter vs Threads: Has Zuck Got Musk on the Ropes?
Responding to a follower’s question about whether the two billionaires had mutually agreed to stream the fight on Twitter, Zuckerberg said: “More like ‘funding secured’.”
The insult was probably a reference to the time when Musk claimed in 2018 that he would take Tesla private, but he was later fined $20 million by U.S. regulators for making false statements.
Preparing for the $1 billion fight
According to Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Musk v Zuckerberg cage fight is expected to cost $100 to watch on pay-per-view and could generate more than $1 billion in revenue.
In late June, White confirmed he had spoken to both Musk and Zuckerberg regarding their recent social media feud. The duo said they were “absolutely dead serious” about squaring off at the UFC Octagon in Nevada, U.S.
Musk said recently the clash, which will be held under UFC rules, was “a civilised form of war” – adding that “men love war.” He joked about his tactics for winning the match as shown below:
I have this great move that I call “The Walrus”, where I just lie on top of my opponent & do nothing
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 22, 2023
Musk also tweeted: “I almost never work out, except for picking up my kids and throwing them in the air.”
Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg – a practitioner of jiu-jitsu, a martial art that emphasizes skill, technique, and adaptability – built an octagon in his background, much to the chagrin of his wife Priscilla Chan.
“I have been working on that grass for two years,” Ms Chan said, according to a screenshot of their conversation shared by the Meta CEO.
Preliminary odds give Zuckerberg a 77% chance of winning the bout.
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