Tag: Elon Musk

Tesla boss Elon Musk set to attend UFC Vegas 86 card with Dana White, event now closed to public

Elon Musk set to attend private UFC Vegas 86 fight with Dana White card closed to publicDana White confirms that Elon Musk will attend this weekend’s UFC Vegas 86. The prospect of a Musk Vs….

Elon Musk set to attend private UFC Vegas 86 fight with Dana White card closed to public

Dana White confirms that Elon Musk will attend this weekend’s UFC Vegas 86.

The prospect of a Musk Vs. Mark Zuckerberg was once the most discussed thing in MMA, making its way into the mainstream news cycle. The fight was always very unlikely to ever happen, but Zuckerberg has began to train MMA and seems to have a genuine love for the sport.

The Facebook founder has been seen training with the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya, even competing in some BJJ matches. Zuckerberg even booked out the APEX so he and his friends could sit cageside. During the broadcast you could even spot his wife Priscilla Chan looking rather squeamish during the action.

Elon Musk set to attend private UFC Vegas 86 event this weekend

This weekend it will be the turn of fellow tech billionaire and rival, Musk, to see the UFC up close. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that the South African businessman will be there.

“It might have been Dallas we did a fight on Super Bowl weekend. To do it in our hometown, a no-brainer to have Slap Friday, UFC Saturday, and Sunday the Super Bowl is a no-brainer. The people that are in town that are going to these events are, I mean Elon Musk is coming to the fight on Saturday, you know what I mean?” White said to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

While it is still an APEX card, there are still some good matchups on the card such as Brad Tavares Vs. Gregory Rodrigues, which has the potential to be a banger and Dan Ige Vs. Andre Fili which screams a fun 15 minutes. UFC veteran Michael Johnson will also be on the card and takes on Darius Flowers.

The bill will be topped with a middleweight fight between Jack Hermansson and Joe Pyfer, which is very quintessential APEX main event.

Are you disappointed that Mark Zuckerberg vs. Elon Musk didn’t get made?

Ex-MMA fighter Gina Carano suing Disney and Lucasfilm after being fired from her role in The Mandalorian

Gina CaranoActress and former MMA fighter Gina Carano is looking to take Disney and Lucasfilm to task after she was…

Gina Carano

Actress and former MMA fighter Gina Carano is looking to take Disney and Lucasfilm to task after she was fired from her supporting role on The Mandalorian over a tweet where she compared being a Republican to being a Jew during the Holocaust.

Carano is reportedly seeking $75,000 in damages and is also demanding to be recast as Cara Dune on the popular series set in the Star Wars universe where she regularly appeared during the first two seasons. During her run on the hit show, she regularly tussled with left-wingers on social media. So much so that plans for her to star in her own spin-off series on Disney+ were scrapped after she mocked mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic and made false accusations regarding voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.

The straw that broke the camel’s back came in February 2021 when she likened being a Republican to being a Jew during the Holocaust.

“Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews,” the post read.

“How is that any different from hating someone for their political views.”

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The hashtag #FireGinaCarano went viral shortly after. Disney and Lucasfilm acted swiftly, announcing that there were no plans to work with the former fighter in the future.

“Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future,” a Lucasfilm spokesperson said in a statement. “Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”

Carano was also dropped as a client by UTA (United Talent Agency), an agency spokesperson confirmed. However, UTA is not named in Tuesday’s court filing, which alleges that the Walt Disney Company was at fault for the agency dropping her.

Gina Carano Claims She Was Fired for Standing up to the ‘online bully mob‘

The 59-page civil suit, filed in California federal court, lays out allegations of wrongful termination and retaliation in a narrative brimming with Star Wars references.

“A short time ago in a galaxy not so far away, Defendants made it clear that only one orthodoxy in thought, speech, or action was acceptable in their empire, and that those who dared to question or failed to fully comply would not be tolerated,” the complaint begins (h/t BBC.com).

Carano claims she was fired “because she dared voice her own opinions… and stood up to the online bully mob who demanded her compliance with their extreme progressive ideology.” In a lengthy statement on X, Carano said she had been subjected to “a bullying smear campaign aimed at silencing, destroying & making an example out of me.”

“Artists do not sign away our rights as American citizens when we enter into employment,” she added while thanking Elon Musk, the billionaire tech mogul and owner of X, who has offered to pick up the tab for her lawsuit against The House of Mouse.

“Please let us know if you would like to join the lawsuit against Disney,” Musk wrote in response to Carano’s statement.

Joe Rogan Discusses the banishment of 12–6 elbow Strikes: ‘They thought someone was going to die’

Joe Rogan elbow strikesJoe Rogan offered his insight into the much-maligned rule against downward elbow strikes, otherwise known as 12–6 elbows, which…

Joe Rogan elbow strikes

Joe Rogan offered his insight into the much-maligned rule against downward elbow strikes, otherwise known as 12–6 elbows, which are largely banned in the sport of mixed martial arts.

In 2000, the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts were established to make the sport more mainstream. Among the established ruleset that we know today, a series of maneuvers were outright banned, one of them being the 12–6 elbow. The primary justification for banning the blow was the damage that could result from such a strike on the orbital bone and the potential for spinal injuries if used in certain positions.

Speaking with Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk during a recent episode of his popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, the longtime UFC commentator shared his take on why the strikes were initially banned by the Association of Boxing Commissions.

“It’s so nuts. It’s so stupid. Do you know where it came from? It came from ‘Big’ John McCarthy who was the original UFC referee and a pioneer of the sport,” Rogan said. “He was bringing this to athletic commissions and they were allowing certain techniques, but one of them they wouldn’t allow was the 12–6 elbow because they saw those late-night karate demonstrations where someone would smash bricks and things like that.

“They thought someone was going to die if they hit him with this, but it’s not even harder than [an angled elbow strike] because this one you can throw your body weight into it and it’s a more natural movement. [12–6] is an unusual movement. I’m sure you could train it and probably get it as hard, but I think for most people… For me, the [angled] elbow has more power.”

The ABC offers their explanation of the 12–6 elbow ban

According to a recent report from the Association of Boxing Commissions, the banishment of linear elbow strikes was done purely for the “advancement of the sport.”

“The committee voted to remove the Linear Elbow Strike (straight up straight down), knowing that a Snap Elbow is much more impactful and is more damaging. This was done for the advancement of the sport. The Perception of a Linear Elbow Strike by fans is that it is the most dangerous elbow strike.”

In 2009, Jon Jones was disqualified during a December fight with Matt Hamill. Jones used his wrestling to dominate Hamill, dislocating Hamill’s shoulder with a takedown, and battering him with strikes from the mount. The bout was stopped by referee Steve Mazagatti who claimed that ‘Bones’ had thrown multiple straight up and down strikes during the onslaught. Though Hamill was unable to continue due to his shoulder injury, Mazagatti disqualified Jones and awarded Hamill the win.

It remains the only loss on Jones’ record.

In 2019, UFC CEO Dana White revealed that he was still actively attempting to have the result overturned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Elon Musk Says Mark Zuckerberg ‘Chickened Out’ of their fight: ‘He used the Pull-Out Method’

Elon MuskElon Musk just doesn’t know when to quit. Earlier this year, the Tesla Motors CEO was thrust into the…

Elon Musk

Elon Musk just doesn’t know when to quit.

Earlier this year, the Tesla Motors CEO was thrust into the MMA limelight after a spat on X (formerly Twitter) with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg resulted in the pair mutually accepting a challenge to fight each other in mixed martial arts. The exchange went largely unnoticed until UFC CEO Dana White injected himself into the conversation in hopes of promoting the fight under his Las Vegas-based banner.

From there, the idea of Musk vs. Zuckerberg took on a life of its own. So much so that even the Colosseum (yes, that Colosseum) was chomping at the bit to host the spectacle.

“I was posting all these fight videos and someone said on Twitter time, ‘Hey, you should fight Zuck.’  I said, ‘Well, I’m willing to fight if he is,’ and then Zuck posted, I think on Instagram or something, ‘Name the place,’ or something, something to that effect.  I said, ‘Okay, how about the Vegas octagon,’” Musk said while explaining how it all got started during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience.

“Italy actually was willing to let us use the Colosseum,” Musk told Rogan. “I was like, ‘Well, can’t turn that down.’ Then I was like, ‘Well if it’s going to be in the Colosseum,’ I like UFC and everything, but we don’t have tons of ads in UFC branding on the Coliseum ’cause it’s a place of great history. You don’t want to have it be all like NASCAR. And then Zuck pulled out.”

Elon Musk Will Fight Mark Zuckerberg ‘Under Any Rules’

In the end, the bout fell apart because the billionaires couldn’t agree on how the fight should be promoted. Musk was adamant that the bout be held inside the iconic amphitheater and streamed exclusively on their respective platforms. Zuckerberg, on the other hand, wanted to co-promote the event with the UFC, allowing other fighters to round out the card and bring some attention to the sport he genuinely loves.

For better or for worse, Zuckerberg decided to walk away from the situation, though it’s clear that Elon Musk still hasn’t let go.

“I don’t need any time,” Musk said of his preparation. “I’m willing to do it anytime, anywhere, any place in the world,” Musk added. “Zuck pulled out, he used the pull-out method… He accused me of not being serious. I said, ‘Listen, at the end of the day, I’ll fight you any place, anywhere, under any rules.’”

Dana White casts doubt on Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg fight: ‘Never say never, but probably not’

Dana WhiteUFC President Dana White revealed that the long-teased fight between tech moguls Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk is likely dead in the water. Over the summer, MMA and mainstream media exploded when it was revealed that Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg had accepted a challenge to fight Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk in a contest promoted […]

Dana White

UFC President Dana White revealed that the long-teased fight between tech moguls Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk is likely dead in the water.

Over the summer, MMA and mainstream media exploded when it was revealed that Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg had accepted a challenge to fight Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk in a contest promoted by White’s Las Vegas-based fight company. The story quickly took on a life of its own as the men continued to trade barbs on social media, generating headlines daily.

At one point, the story reached such astronomical highs that the pair were even rumored to take their fight to Italy, competing inside Rome’s iconic Colosseum. However, things began to fall apart with Musk offering up a series of updates regarding the bout on his recently revamped platform, X, that Zuckerberg quickly debunked. One of the biggest issues ‘The Zuck’ took with Musk’s ideas is that it completely eliminated the UFC, or any other combat sports organization, from being involved.

Zuckerberg saw the fight as an opportunity to feature some of MMA’s biggest names and elevate the sport like never before. Musk seemingly disagreed and took to petty insults and threats on social media before the rivalry inevitably fell by the wayside.

Dana White Casts Doubt on Musk vs. Zuckerberg Fight

Addressing the status of the billionaire beatdown, Dana White suggested that it could have been the biggest charity event in the history of the world.

“It would have been the biggest charity event ever held in history,” White said during an appearance on OutKick The Morning with Charly Arnolt. “Especially for one night and it would have helped a lot of people.”

Asked if he believes whether or not the fight will happen someday, White said:

“I don’t know. I never say never, but probably not.”

While most fight fans are probably breathing a sigh of relief at the news, the fact remains that Musk vs. Zuckerberg could have been a massive charity event, not to mention an opportunity for mixed martial arts to reach an audience like never before.

Despite moving on from Elon Musk fight, Mark Zuckerberg determined to make UFC debut someday

ZuckerbergFacebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg may be ready to move on from his proposed clash with fellow tech guru and billionaire Elon Musk, but that doesn’t mean he’s done training for a turn inside the Octagon one day. Zuckerberg has long been linked to a fight with Musk ever since the Titan of Tesla laid down […]

Zuckerberg

Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg may be ready to move on from his proposed clash with fellow tech guru and billionaire Elon Musk, but that doesn’t mean he’s done training for a turn inside the Octagon one day.

Zuckerberg has long been linked to a fight with Musk ever since the Titan of Tesla laid down a cage match challenge to the Meta CEO on his recently revamped social media platform X, formerly Twitter. ‘The Zuck’ gladly accepted the proposal, but things didn’t truly take off until UFC President Dana White stepped up and suggested that the promotion would host the social media smackdown.

In more recent weeks, things have seemingly fallen apart for the fantasy fight as Musk and Zuckerberg have failed to see eye-to-eye on how to take advantage of the opportunity. Zuckerberg would prefer to do things on the straight and narrow, competing under the umbrella of a top-shelf combat sports organization such as the UFC or ONE Championship. Musk on the other hand wants to take the bout to Italy where the pair can stream their fight on social media from within Rome’s iconic Colosseum.

With the pair far apart on how the fight should go down, Zuckerberg is seemingly ready to walk away from the entire circus, but he’s not giving up on his UFC dream just yet. In an interview with TMZ Sports, Dana White revealed that ‘The Zuck’ is “very serious” about one day stepping inside the Octagon.

“He takes the sport very serious. He trains very hard and he is very serious about possibly competing someday and that’s why he doesn’t want to be a part of something that kept being talked about, but probably wouldn’t happen, but yeah,” White said. “He won’t be here this weekend [at UFC 292]. I have a show every Tuesday called Dana White’s Contender Series. He might pop in for one of those on a Tuesday in Vegas, but yeah. He’s training and he’s very serious about it.”

Mark Zuckerberg Could Compete in the UFC Against Another Professional Fighter

Dana White also shared his take on why things between the two billionaires seemingly fell apart so fast.

“He and I talk multiple times a week and we had dinner last Monday,” White continued. “He’s very serious about competing and when he mentioned it, he said what he was saying in response to Elon was there are tons of professional organizations out there and this is the way this should be done. Not in some backyard or whatever Elon was saying.

“Elon’s hilarious, but think about this, you’ve got two of the richest most powerful men in the world and they say they want to fight. It has to be sanctioned by an athletic commission. The proper medical testing has to be done. The proper drug testing has to be done, and that’s what Zuckerberg is saying. There are plenty of professional organizations out there. We should be fighting in the UFC.”

Asked if he sees Mark Zuckerberg one day competing against another professional fighter signed by the UFC, White said:

“Anything is possible and I would say he is absolutely interested in doing that.”