Days after UFC president Dana White indicated he was still working through details for a Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg fight, the Tesla CEO says the promotion won’t run the contest.
Friday, Musk tweeted the fight will be “managed” by the two billionaires’ individual foundations. He added the fight will stream on each of their social media platforms, X (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook).
Musk confirmed White’s recent revelation the Colosseum in Rome is in play as a possible venue. Musk even said Italy’s prime minister and minister of culture have agreed to allow the bout to happen there.
Prominent combat sports figures Conor McGregor and Jake Paul seemed to celebrate, in their own unique ways, Musk’s separation from UFC involvement shortly thereafter.
Scroll below for a timeline of X posts.
Elon Musk walks back UFC participation
The fight will be managed by my and Zuck’s foundations (not UFC).
Livestream will be on this platform and Meta. Everything in camera frame will be ancient Rome, so nothing modern at all.
I spoke to the PM of Italy and Minister of Culture. They have agreed on an epic location.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2023
'All proceeds go to veterans'
And all proceeds go to veterans
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2023
Conor McGregor celebrates
Jake Paul praises Elon Musk
Elon Musk is the real boss of bosses. Meanwhile Dana White selling Musk Zuck t-shirts. This is how you do it. All to charity. Would be amazing to use some of the proceeds to setup a pension plan for fighters.
Elon – I am all in to help in any way. https://t.co/RuRwsPCrQn
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) August 11, 2023
So... will Musk vs. Zuckerberg actually happen?
It’s still unclear how much of a reality Musk vs. Zuckerberg actually is. Musk recently underwent an MRI on his back and revealed Friday on X he plans to have a minor surgical procedure that has months-long recovery.
Meanwhile, Zuckerberg has continued to angle for the fight on his newest social media platform, Threads.
I spent 3 hours in an MRI machine on Monday. Bottom line is that my C5/C6 fusion is solid, so not an issue.
However, there is a problem with my right shoulder blade rubbing against my ribs, which requires minor surgery. Recovery will only take a few months.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2023
Should it happen, two of the world’s most well-known billionaires fighting each other will likely draw a lot of eyeballs. White recently estimated the fight could do $1 billion in revenue.