Sport Correspondent talks with bewilderment about the main sports newsbreak of the past week: the owner of Twitter, who runs SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk called the head of Meta (the company's activities were recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) Mark Zuckerberg to a duel according to the rules of mixed martial arts and received consent. This is not an April Fool's joke.
How did this even happen?
Musk «hit» Zuckerberg after the news that Mark's company intends to launch an analogue of Twitter. Number two in the Forbes 2023 ranking «blazed» on social media, declaring that «The earth can't wait to be under the heel» solely on Mark. In the comments, Musk was reminded that Zuckerberg was engaged in jiu-jitsu — Elon was not at a loss and added that in this case he was ready to meet Mark in a cage.
Zuckerberg got in touch. He invited the owner of Twitter to decide on the location for the confrontation. Musk's choice fell on Las Vegas. The city where the best boxing fights are held and where the T-Mobile arena hosts the main events of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Mother Mask tried to stop the madness
…but was powerless. May Musk said on Twitter that she «turned down» her son's fight with Zuckerberg:
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«Actually, I canceled the fight. I haven't told them yet. But I will continue to say that the fight is canceled , just in case».
Elon reacted to his mother's post with a laughing emoticon, subsequently offering to fight according to the rules of mixed martial arts. May Musk, in turn, allowed only a «battle in words» and urged subscribers not to pour gasoline on the flames of the promotion of a resonant duel … However, the fans could not be stopped: social networks go crazy all day and look forward to the fight between Musk and Zuckerberg.
The head of the UFC immediately fit in
Before Musk and Zuckerberg had time to shake hands, and UFC President Dana White had already begun to negotiate a superfight. It is not surprising, because even the return of Conor McGregor will fade against the background of such a poster (which, we do not exclude, we will never see).
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“Zuckerberg wrote “Send me a location” by repeating the phrase that Khabib Nurmagomedov said, and today I spoke with Elon and Mark. Both are absolutely serious. They said they would do it. First I talked to Mark, and he asked me: «Is Musk serious?» I replied that I did not know and asked Elon. To which he replied: «Yes, I'm absolutely serious,» TMZ Sports quotes White.
The fans criticized the functionary for wanting to bring billionaires in a cage and cash in on the «circus» showdown between Musk and Zuckerberg, to which White suggested that the haters continue to watch MMA fights against boxers (according to boxing rules) completely devoid of intrigue. In the meantime, he will organize a grand battle of «the most powerful guys in the world» (their total fortune is $ 270 billion), which everyone will want to see.
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"It will be the biggest the fight of all time that will break all pay TV sales records! — assured the president of the UFC the day before.We got more details on Monday, when former MMA fighter and now expert Chael Sonnen went on air on the MMA Hour YouTube channel and revealed that Zuckerberg himself called him and revealed an agreement with Musk to perform at the 300th numbered UFC tournament.
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“Mark told me that he agreed to fight at UFC 300. He drew attention to this several times: “Now Elon will not be able to say that he will be busy.” <…> He called me on my personal phone. My son and my dog are witnesses. I didn’t ask where he got my number from, we talked as friends,” Sonnen shared.
There is no exact date for the anniversary event yet. However, judging by the UFC schedule for the current year, the show should take place in the first half of 2024.
Who volunteered to train Musk and Zuk?< br>News of a potential billionaire fight has caused a stir in the main MMA promotion. Several league stars immediately jumped on the wave of hype and offered their services to the newly minted fighters in preparation for the fight. The names are really cool.
- The best UFC fighter regardless of weight class (Р4Р) Jon Jones :
«You already know I'm on Team Zuk. Let me know if you need a sparring partner!»
- Once «Most Dangerous Gangster» Jorge Masvidal:
«Elon Musk seems to we have a job.»
- UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre:
«Elon Musk, I'm your biggest fan. It would be my great honor to help you and be your training partner in preparation for your fight against Zuckerberg.»
- Former Organization Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira:
«Hey Mark! Let's train together man. Get ready and join me. I'll fly to Las Vegas where we can do some training.»
- Crazy Truth Teller Sean Strickland:
«To hell with Mark Zuckerberg. Dirty communist, no one no need for his disinformation censorship Elon Musk, come to Vegas and we'll get to work!» despite the difference in size, became Mark. Yes, Zuckerberg (171 cm/70 kg) is significantly shorter and lighter than the 51-year-old Musk (188 cm/85 kg), but the relative «youth» is on the side of the 39-year-old media mogul and the already mentioned experience in BJJ. take bets on an unprecedented spectacle.
Odds: 1.2 vs. 4.0 in favor of Zuckerberg.