Two of the richest people in the world have had their share of differences over the years. The heated rivalry could see them square off in a cage match fight that has social media, sportsbooks and media entities excited about the possibility.
What Happened: A challenge by Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk to Meta Platforms META CEO Mark Zuckerberg for a cage match has apparently been accepted, and the two could be squaring off soon.
Zuckerberg responded to a callout by Musk for a potential cage match with the phrase “send me location.”
Musk later added the location of a “Vegas octagon.”
One Twitter user suggested having Joe Rogan as the referee, which got a fire emoji response in acceptance from Musk. Rogan is a commentator for the UFC.
Coincidentally, the UFC has a connection to Musk, which could put the company in the driver’s seat to land the fight.
The UFC is owned by Endeavor Group Holdings EDR, which went public in 2021. Benzinga previously reported that Musk was on the Board of Directors of Endeavor before stepping down. Musk also once owned shares of Endeavor Group, but it is unclear if he remains a shareholder today.
Sports Business Journal reporter Adam Stern said Thursday that UFC President Dana White has been in contact with Musk and Zuckerberg, according to a UFC spokesperson.
Betr co-founder Jake Paul pitched Musk on the fight as well. Paull said he would gladly promote the fight against Zuckerberg and pitched doing it with the PFL (Professional Fighters League), which he is signed with.
“We can do it in the PFL on ESPN+ for charity,” Paul said.
The PFL has a deal with ESPN, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company DIS, through 2023 and the option of a renewal.
Given that Musk and Zuckerberg each own social media networks, the rights to the fight could become an issue raised, with Twitter and Facebook being potential homes of the highly anticipated fight.
Related Link: Despite Elon Musk's Critique, Mark Zuckerberg Admires His Actions At Twitter
The Potential Matchup: Musk is the richest person in the world, valued at $232 billion, and Zuckerberg ranks tenth at $103 billion according to Bloomberg.
Shareholders of the public companies they run could also be worried about any potential injuries or distractions. Shares of Tesla and Meta Platforms are up 142% and 124% respectively year-to-date. Tesla is the seventh-largest public company in the world, with a market capitalization of $829 billion. Meta ranks ninth at $718 billion.
The potential cage match would see two opponents that could be opposites when it comes to working out and fighting enter the ring.
Zuckerberg is trained in jiu-jitsu and previously competed in a tournament where he was named the winner.
"Competed in my first jiu-jitsu tournament and won some medals for the Guerilla Jiu Jitsu team," Zuckerberg shared on social media at the time.
Zuckerberg’s training partner Khai Wu previously said that the Meta Platforms CEO is a “Jiu Jitsu nerd” that many might not know is also a “silent killer.”
Musk, on the other hand, has joked about his fighting abilities and workout routine.
“I almost never work out, except for picking up my kids & throwing them in the air,” Musk said.
While he isn’t a trained fighter like Zuckerberg, Musk shared with his Twitter followers that he does have one move ready to go.
“I have this great move that I call ‘The Walrus,’ where I just lie on top of my opponent & do nothing,” Musk said. Musk previously highlighted the move during an interview on the “Full Send Podcast.”
Computer scientist and podcast host Lex Fridman, who has interviewed Musk and Zuckerberg previously, offered to train Musk in jiu jitsu. Fridman holds a black belt in jiu jitsu.
Musk has called out Facebook and Instagram previously, two units owned by Meta Platforms. Musk has referred to Instagram as a “thirst trap” and previously took down pages for Tesla and SpaceX on Facebook.
Zuckerberg is listed with a height in the range of 5’7” to 5’8”. Musk is listed at a height of 6’1” to 6’2”.
Celebrity Fight History: There has been a history of athletes joining the ranks of boxing and mixed martial arts. Additionally, several matches have featured celebrities fighting against each other.
“Celebrity Boxing” aired two episodes on Fox. Among the celebrities that competed in matches were Vanilla Ice, Danny Bonaduce, Barry Williams, Todd Bridges, Paula Jones, Tonya Harding, Dustin Diamond, Manute Bol, Joey Buttafuoco and William “Refrigerateor” Perry.
An annual charity boxing event called “Creator Clash” sees content creators like YouTubers face off against each other.
Betting Odds: While a fight between Musk and Zuckerberg is only in the rumor or early planning stages, sportsbooks are already starting to circulate odds for the highly anticipated bout.
DraftKings Inc DKNG shared odds for a potential cage fight. The odds are listed as -160 for Zuckerberg and +140 for Musk, with the Meta Platforms CEO favored.
“Zuckerberg is 12 years younger and has taken part in an intensive challenge in which he ran a mile, completed 100 pull-ups, 200 press-ups and 300 squats, before running a further mile, all while wearing a 9kg weighted vest. He also has been training in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu,” DraftKings Director of Race & Sports Operations Johnny Avello said.
Avello added that Musk has dabbled in taekwondo, karate, judo and jiu-jitsu.
“So while Zuckerberg will be the smaller man via weight and size, he’s a big MMA fan and seems to be in better shape.”
Sportsbook Bovada has the odds listed at -150 for Musk and +110 for Zuckerberg.
What’s Next: If the fight is to happen between Musk and Zuckerberg, several people are expressing their desire to be part of the action.
SoFi Technologies CEO Anthony Noto, who is a West Point graduate, said he wants to fight the winner.
Roger Ver, also known as Bitcoin Jesus, wants to fight both Zuckerberg and Musk, with the winner getting to pick the cryptocurrency used by Facebook and Twitter.
Users on social media are calling for Musk to fight Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates after Zuckerberg.
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Photo: Shutterstock, Wikimedia Commons
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