Tensions online have flared between social media billionaires Mark Zuckerberg, owner of Facebook (rebranded as Meta, which now owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, and Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter. Threads is a new social media platform linked to Instagram that is a direct competitor to Twitter, which Musk reluctantly bought for $44 billion dollars on Oct. 27, 2022.
Before we bury the lede, peep the photo of Zuckerberg looking ripped after training with UFC Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. After that, we’ll dive into why the potential fight that never came to pass between the 39-year-old Zuckerberg and the 52-year-old Musk:
Mark Zuckerberg vs. Elon Musk?
Zuckerberg and Musk are tech moguls with immense wealth. At the time of this article’s publication, Zuckerberg and Musk have net worths of $108.5 billion and $245.6 billion, respectively, according to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires rankings. They both added $2.8 billion of net worth at the end of the trading day on July 11, 2023.
On July 5, 2023, Meta’s new app Threads launched as a direct competitor to Twitter. Mario Nawfal shared news of the Threads’ launch in a tweet, and Musk responded with an offer to fight Zuckerberg:
I’m up for a cage match if he is lol
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 21, 2023
Musk’s tweet went viral enough that Zuckerberg responded shortly thereafter on his official Instagram stories, saying “Send Me Location” in response to Musk’s fight proposal. Musk suggested a location commonly suited for professional mixed martial arts (MMA) combatants:
Vegas Octagon
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 22, 2023
[Related: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Tells Mike O’Hearn How He Became a Mixed Martial Artist]
UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) President Dana White later stated that he’d happily put together Zuck vs. Musk, and since then, the two billionaires have posted photos of themselves training with different combat athletes. Musk was show with former UFC Welterweight and Middleweight champion Georges St. Pierre and, prior to the photo above, Zuckerberg posted a video of him training with BJJ legend Mikey Musumeci, a five-time IBJJF (International Brazilian-Jiu-Jitsu Federation) world champion at black belt in the Gi Division.
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Zuckerberg does have legitimate BJJ bonafides. In May of 2023, Zuckerberg posted a photo of himself getting his had raised in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament. He competed as a white belt, the most novice of the BJJ belt ranking system, in two different division — Gi and No-Gi. He won a gold and silver medal in No-Gi and Gi, respectively.
How Strength Training Improves MMA Fighters
Using resistance training to increase strength in the upper body, specifically the lumbar region, might be the ticket to improving as a mixed martial artist. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “optimizing the force production in the upper body and lower back seems important in elite and professional MMA athletes.” A one-rep max bench press and four-rep max leg press were sufficient for accurately differentiating the weight class and “competitive level” of MMA athletes. (1)
Furthermore, when the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine compared strength and conditioning training specifically designed for MMA fighters versus a generic strength and conditioning program, they found “a high-intensity low-volume strength and conditioning training intervention designed according to the demands of MMA competition may result in significant performance improvements for well-trained fighters.” (2)
Despite being a combat sport, mixed martial arts — which includes helping portions of resistance training as accessory work — can do wonders for helping people get into shape (billionaire or otherwise). While it is unlikely that a cage match between Musk and Zuckerberg will occur, Zuckerberg’s training appears to be on the right course for such a bout.
References
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Folhes, O., Reis, V. M., Marques, D. L., Neiva, H. P., & Marques, M. C. (2022). Maximum Isometric and Dynamic Strength of Mixed Martial Arts Athletes According to Weight Class and Competitive Level. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(14), 8741. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148741Kostikiadis, I. N., Methenitis, S., Tsoukos, A., Veligekas, P., Terzis, G., & Bogdanis, G. C. (2018). The Effect of Short-Term Sport-Specific Strength and Conditioning Training on Physical Fitness of Well-Trained Mixed Martial Arts Athletes. Journal of sports science & medicine, 17(3), 348–358.
Featured image: @stylebender on Instagram | photo by @jeffsainlar on Instagram
