The day after Elon Musk challenged Mark Zuckerberg on social media to “a cage match” final month, Dana White, president of the Final Preventing Championship, obtained a textual content.
It was from Mr. Zuckerberg, chief government of Meta. He requested Mr. White, who heads the world’s premier combined martial arts competitors, which is fought in cage-like rings, if Mr. Musk was critical a couple of battle.
Mr. White known as Mr. Musk, who runs Tesla, Twitter and SpaceX, and confirmed that he was keen to throw down. Mr. White then relayed that to Mr. Zuckerberg. In response, Mr. Zuckerberg posted on Instagram: “Ship Me Location,” a reference to the catchphrase of Khabib Nurmagomedov, one of many U.F.C.’s most embellished athletes.
Since then, Mr. White mentioned, he has talked to the tech billionaires individually each night time to prepare the showdown. On Tuesday, he mentioned, he was “on the cellphone with these two till 12:45 within the morning.” He added, “They each wish to do it.”
In the event you thought {that a} cage battle between two of the world’s richest males was only a far-fetched social media stunt, suppose once more.
Over the previous 10 days, Mr. White mentioned he, Mr. Musk and Mr. Zuckerberg — aided by advisers — have negotiated behind the scenes and are inching towards bodily fight. Whereas there are not any ensures a match will occur, the broad contours of an occasion are taking form, mentioned Mr. White and three folks with data of the discussions.
The battle could be an exhibition match, Mr. White mentioned, and out of doors official U.F.C. jurisdiction and rights offers, although he would assist produce the occasion. The tech leaders have agreed there ought to be a charity element, Mr. White and an individual aware of the talks mentioned, with particulars nonetheless being labored out. The popular location is Las Vegas, which requires approval from the Nevada Athletic Fee. On Thursday, Mr. Musk tweeted that the occasion might additionally occur within the Roman Colosseum.
Mr. Zuckerberg’s mates and advisers have typically supported the match, two folks near him mentioned, although others mentioned a battle could be a distraction and never the most effective use of his time. One individual near Mr. Musk mentioned that whereas he hated sports activities and didn’t seem to have the self-discipline to coach commonly, nobody might rule something out with him.
If the matchup between Mr. Musk, 52, and Mr. Zuckerberg, 39, goes forward, it could be a uncommon spectacle, even within the braggadocio-filled universe of the tech trade. Whereas Steve Jobs and Invoice Gates used to snipe at one another, the closest the tech world had earlier than this to actual sporting feuds was amongst billionaire yachtsmen like Larry Ellison of Oracle and Hasso Plattner of SAP.
However two wildly rich tech titans grappling, punching and kicking in a Las Vegas or Roman area? Nobody would have dreamed it.
Meta declined to remark. Mr. Musk didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Mr. Zuckerberg and Mr. Musk have lengthy teetered between being rivals, frenemies and outright enemies. The 2 have criticized one another over time, together with about Mr. Musk’s SpaceX rockets, knowledge privateness scandals at Meta and extra. Most lately, Mr. Zuckerberg dispatched a group at Meta to construct a competitor to Mr. Musk’s Twitter, code-named Mission 92.
In the event that they take their rivalry past these jibes, the U.F.C.’s Mr. White mentioned he had considerations concerning the bodily gaps between the billionaires. Other than their 13-year age distinction, Mr. Musk is claimed to be not less than 70 kilos heavier than Mr. Zuckerberg. In official combined martial arts bouts, athletes are typically matched up by weight.
“We now have two guys which have by no means professionally fought, and so they’re in two utterly totally different weight lessons,” Mr. White mentioned. Nonetheless, he mentioned, “it is going to be the largest battle within the historical past of fight sports activities.”
Mr. Zuckerberg is particularly aware of the U.F.C. world. Over the previous 18 months, he has launched into a private journey to bulk up and dove deep into Brazilian jujitsu, a grappling martial artwork by which rivals attempt to submit their opponent and which is utilized in U.F.C. preventing.
Mr. Zuckerberg began coaching on a lark principally in his storage in 2021, the place he constructed what he known as a “mini academy” with a circle of mates who spar with him. He has mentioned he appreciated that Brazilian jujitsu required “one hundred pc focus” and strategic considering to defeat an opponent, fairly than brute power.
Mr. Zuckerberg has sought out martial arts consultants, together with Dave Camarillo, James Terry and Khai Wu. In Might, he competed in his first public martial arts match in Redwood Metropolis, Calif., which he attended undercover — up till the second he took off his hat and sun shades to battle. He gained gold and silver medals within the problem.
Final yr, Meta additionally introduced it had partnered with the U.F.C. to deliver combined martial arts fights to Horizon Worlds, its digital actuality app.
Mr. White mentioned Mr. Zuckerberg was actually devoted to the game.
“I’ve been speaking to Zuckerberg now for possibly shut to 2 years now,” he mentioned. “And there’s by no means like banter or we’re joking and laughing.” He mentioned the Meta chief government was “useless critical on a regular basis.”
Mr. Zuckerberg is probably going in preventing form. He has been on a strict exercise routine, going for runs and difficult mates and colleagues to beat his instances, two folks near him mentioned. Final month, he posted a private report for finishing the “Murph” problem, which requires finishing a collection of pull-ups, push-ups, working a number of miles and doing a whole bunch of squats, all whereas carrying weighted, military-grade physique armor.
“Doing sports activities that mainly require your full consideration, I believe, is actually essential to my psychological well being and the best way to remain centered on all the things I’m doing,” he mentioned in a current podcast episode.
Mr. Musk, alternatively, has tweeted that he “virtually by no means” works out and as soon as suffered a back injury that required surgical procedure after taking part in an exhibition with a sumo wrestler. Final month, he said he had skilled in “judo, Kyokushin (full contact)” — two Japanese martial arts — and “no guidelines streetfighting.”
“He made that very clear: ‘I’m not going to lose any weight,’” Mr. White mentioned of Mr. Musk’s method to the potential matchup. “‘Are we going to battle or are we not going to battle?’” Mr. White mentioned Mr. Musk instructed him.
This week, Lex Fridman, a podcaster, posted photographs of himself coaching judo with Mr. Musk. Mr. Fridman, who has additionally skilled jujitsu with Mr. Zuckerberg, didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Not less than one individual doesn’t seem like a fan of a battle: Maye Musk, Mr. Musk’s mom.
“Don’t encourage this match!” she lately tweeted, together with two frowning emojis.