X/Twitter owner Elon Musk says he’s still down to have an actual, physical, non-metaphorical cage fight with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Zuck is also still keen, but says he’s “not holding [his] breath.”
Musk posted on Sunday that his proposed fight with Zuckerberg will be livestreamed on X, and that “all proceeds will go to charity for veterans.” The CEO didn’t specify which charity the fight will allegedly support. But notably, it looks as though Musk didn’t clear the fundraising element with his opponent before announcing it to the world.
“Shouldn’t we use a more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity?” Zuckerberg responded on Meta’s X rival Threads.
The Facebook co-founder makes a fair point. The social media network has inbuilt fundraising functionality that allows users to create campaigns supporting various charities through their own profiles. This was used by comedian Celeste Barber to raise over A$51 million for Australia’s bushfires in 2020, with people from all over the world donating to what would become the largest fundraiser in Facebook’s history.
Meanwhile, X doesn’t have specific fundraising tools beyond posts and adding links and calls to action in your bio. Moreover, the company has recently received significant negative attention for its handling of finances.
Zuckerberg also addressed Musk’s last-minute fight prep. After previously stating that he never works out, Musk said he is now “lifting weights throughout the day” in preparation for his 1v1 with Zuck.
“Don’t have time to work out, so I just bring them to work,” Musk posted.
“I’m ready today,” Zuckerberg wrote on Threads. “I suggested Aug 26 when he first challenged, but he hasn’t confirmed. Not holding my breath. I love this sport and will continue competing with people who train no matter what happens here.”
Considering that Zuckerberg has spent months training in jiu-jitsu and even medalled in a tournament earlier this year, it’s unlikely Musk’s half-hearted efforts will do him much good in a matchup. Even so, he’s still bringing his signature self-aggrandisement to his potential beatdown, sharing a wrestling clip and stating that he is “going with @WWE as [his] fighting style.”
“Aiming to get to 50 pound free weights this week,” Musk posted. “I build muscle fast. Physical endurance is my weak spot, so I’m aiming to make this quick.”
It generally takes about four to six weeks to even begin building muscle, and that’s assuming you’re doing consistent weight training in a workout plan. If the cage match does go ahead on Aug. 26, that would give Musk less than three weeks to get in fighting shape.
Fortunately for Musk, his bout with Zuck probably won’t be held on that date. On Monday, Musk revealed that he is getting an MRI of his neck and upper back tomorrow, and may need surgery before the fight so the “exact date is still in flux.”
This has done nothing to temper his belief that he will win.
“If the fight is short, I probably win,” wrote Musk, who claims to weigh “at least 300 lbs” (136 kilograms). “If long, he may win on endurance. I am much bigger and there is a reason MMA has weight divisions.”
When asked what the point of this fight was, Musk responded: “It’s a civilized form of war. Men love war.”
The possibility of a fistfight between the two tech billionaires first arose in June, when Musk responded to a comment about Zuckerberg’s jiu-jitsu training by saying he was “up for a cage match if he is lol.” Zuckerberg then posted a screenshot of the exchange to his Instagram Stories, along with the message: “Send Me Location.”
Overall, it looks like it might shape up to be another instance of Musk’s mouth writing checks he can’t cash. Only this time, instead of being forced to spend $44 billion on a social media network, Musk could end up getting punched in the face.
