The head of both Tesla and Twitter, Elon Musk, indirectly called out Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg this week on social media, with the latter seemingly accepting the challenge. Was it for publicity? A bit of banter? Or is it genuine? Dana White thinks it’s for real.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, UFC President Dana White revealed that he had spoken with both Musk and Zuckerberg last night and said that both of the billionaires were up for a scrap.
”Mark Zuckerberg hit me up and said, ‘Is he [Musk] serious?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know, let me ask him.’ I asked him, and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m dead serious.’
White believes that a fight between the two billionaires would be the biggest pay-per-view draw of all time, eclipsing Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, which drew a reported 4.4 million purchases. That’s a bold claim, particularly as we don’t have the data to back it up. When was the last time we saw two of the wealthiest people in the world, who own two of the biggest companies on the planet, try and punch each others face in?
If the fight is to go ahead, there’s a real possibility it could be under the UFC banner as White expressed an interest in promoting the bout. He told TMZ that he puts on fights that people want to see, which may draw criticism from some quarters as it contradicts what he previously said about the new ‘crossover’ genre of fighting.
On the Jim Romer show just last month, White commented on the upcoming boxing match between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz, saying that he recognized that some people were into these types of fights, but it’s not something that he himself is personally into. Paul vs. Diaz is certainly a big fight, just as Musk vs. Zuckerberg would be, so people will wonder why he is a fan of one and not the other.
Given that both Musk and Zuckerberg are hardly short of change, it’s fair to assume that the revenue from a future bout would be donated to charitable causes, and White confirmed that potential dates had not been discussed at this early stage. The UFC President spent around one hour and a half on the phone with Musk and Zuckerberg yesterday. This should indicate the willingness of both parties, as time must be of the essence when running some of the most successful companies on the planet.
So who would be the favorite? Well, Zuckerberg has recently began competing in Jiu-Jitsu and has had some success. Musk, however, looks to have a size advantage and has already revealed his game plan of finishing Zuckerberg with ‘The Walrus.’ Not all readers are MMA experts, so let me explain; it’s a move where the fighter with a significant weight advantage lays on top of his opponent and refuses to move. It’s been used sparingly in Mixed-Martial arts, but it sounds highly effective, mainly if used in the early stages of a round.
In all seriousness, Zuckerberg has opened as the heavy -500 favorite. Odds will fluctuate as always, but the bookmakers rate Zuckerberg’s fitness and martial arts training as significant factors. A fight of this magnitude would bring fresh eyes to the sport from all walks of life, so MMA as a whole could benefit, as well as the deserving charities who end up receiving a share of the pay-per-view revenue.
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