Tag: Mark Zuckerberg

AI and the Octagon: How Dana White and Mark Zuckerberg Are Revolutionizing Rankings

Dana White Mark ZuckerbergUFC President Dana White will apparently be working with Mark Zuckerberg on AI to overhaul the UFC rankings. Ahead…

Dana White Mark Zuckerberg

UFC President Dana White will apparently be working with Mark Zuckerberg on AI to overhaul the UFC rankings. Ahead of this weekend’s UFC 308, hosted in Abu Dhabi, the UFC leader explained his vision.

Dana White and Mark Zuckerberg

Dana White, long-time UFC president, has taken aim at the UFC rankings system claiming it is inaccurate and he is not happy with it. Mainly, he has been vocal about how low Jon ‘Bones’ Jones has been ranked on the pound-for-pound system. Fighters and media have agreed that rankings could use a rework, but are uncertain about White’s solution: using AI.

Dana White claims he planned to cut Francis Ngannou from UFC back in 2018: 'I was going to'

Mark Zuckerberg has developed a notable interest in MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He has been vocal about his passion for these sports, actively training and competing in tournaments. Additionally, he made headlines by appearing in the corner of UFC fighter Alexander Volkanovski during UFC 298.

Mark Zuckerberg

In an interview with TNT Sports, Dana White explained:

“We literally had meetings this week to work on it, and I talked to Mark Zuckerberg about AI. That’s how high-level we’re talking tech. I’m totally going to fix the rankings, and we’re going to make a lot of strong moves coming into 2025.”

Mark Zuckerberg is best known as the co-founder and CEO of Facebook. After dropping out of Harvard during his sophomore year to focus on Facebook, Zuckerberg led the platform’s rapid expansion, transforming it into one of the largest social networks globally, with over two billion users. He remains a prominent figure in technology and philanthropy, notably through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which he founded with his wife, Priscilla Chan, to address social issues like education and health.

Mark Zuckerberg’s painfully awkward appearance at UFC 298 is going viral: ‘Still went better than Threads’

UFC 298UFC 298 gave fight fans a lot to talk about. Emanating from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, the…

UFC 298

UFC 298 gave fight fans a lot to talk about.

Emanating from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, the promotion’s latest pay-per-view offering delivered some memorable moments, chief among them being Ilia Topuria’s shocking second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski to claim the featherweight championship.

Sitting cageside for the festivities was Facebook co-founder and avid MMA fan, Mark Zuckerberg. One glance at the Meta CEO’s Instagram and you’ll see just how much love and appreciation he has for the sport, so his attendance was by no means unusual. However, fans were taken aback when ‘The Zuck’ was spotted as part of Volkanovksi’s entourage while ‘The Great’ made his walk to the Octagon.

Those who spotted Zuckerberg on camera quickly noticed how awkward he looked as he attempted to help out in any way he could despite being largely ignored by Volkanovski and his team.

Volkanovski did acknowledge Zuckerberg’s presence with a pre-fight embrace, but even that felt insincere if not downright uncomfortable.

Fans online had a field day, offering a variety of responses to Zuckerberg’s behavior during the walkout. “Incredible what you can learn about a person from a clip like this,” one commenter said. “Still went better than Threads,” another added, referencing Zuckerberg’s failed ‘Twitter killer’ app.

Earlier in the evening, Merab Dvalishvili engaged in a conversation with Zuckerberg while in the middle of his main card matchup with former two-division titleholder Henry Cejudo. Following the fight, Dvalishvili hopped the fence and dapped up ‘The Zuck’ in one of the more viral moments of the evening.

What was your favorite Mark Zuckerberg moment from UFC 298?

Meta warns investors that Mark Zuckerberg’s passion for MMA could negatively impact business

Mark Zuckerberg trains with MMA fightersMeta is warning shareholders that its bottom line could be negatively impacted by Mark Zuckerberg’s love of mixed martial…

Mark Zuckerberg trains with MMA fighters

Meta is warning shareholders that its bottom line could be negatively impacted by Mark Zuckerberg’s love of mixed martial arts.

Zuckerberg — the enigmatic co-founder of Facebook and CEO of Meta Platforms Inc. — has become a massive fan of MMA in recent years, training with some of the sport’s biggest stars including Alexander Volkanovski, Israel Adesanya, and five-time IBJJF world champion Mikey Musumeci. ‘The Zuck’ even competed in a BJJ tournament last year, taking home gold and silver medals.

Unfortunately, Zuckerberg has already been exposed to the ugly side of the sport, having to undergo knee surgery after suffering an ALC injury while training. That was enough for Meta to decide that Zuckerberg’s passion for MMA and other extreme sports needed to be disclosed to its shareholders.

“We currently depend on the continued services and performance of our key personnel, including Mark Zuckerberg,” the company said in the ‘key personnel’ section of its annual report, which it filed on February 2. “Mr. Zuckerberg and certain other members of management participate in various high-risk activities, such as combat sports, extreme sports, and recreational aviation, which carry the risk of serious injury and death.

“If Mr. Zuckerberg were to become unavailable for any reason, there could be a material adverse impact on our operations,” the section continued (h/t The Hollywood Reporter).

Mark Zuckerberg Was All-In on Fighting Elon Musk Inside the Octagon

Last year, Zuckerberg found himself the subject of many a headline courtesy of his feud with fellow tech billionaire Elon Musk. The two had agreed to compete in a cage match to settle their issues with UFC CEO Dana White chomping at the bit to promote the fight under his Las Vegas-based banner.

However, Zuckerberg called everything off in August citing Musk’s unwillingness to accept anything that was offered to him.

“I think we can all agree Elon isn’t serious, and it’s time to move on,” Zuckerberg wrote on Instagram. “I offered a real date. Dana White offered to make this a legit competition for charity. Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead.”

According to White, Mark Zuckerberg is still interested in testing his mettle inside the Octagon someday, though it likely won’t be against the Tesla Motors CEO.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg tears ACL while training for 2024 MMA Debut, Undergoes Surgery

Mark ZuckerbergMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed on social media that he tore his ACL while sparring. The Facebook founder has…

Mark Zuckerberg

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed on social media that he tore his ACL while sparring.

The Facebook founder has earned the attention and respect of the mixed martial arts community in recent months after the tech guru began training alongside some of the sport’s most accomplished athletes, including Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, and reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci.

Unfortunately, it looks like ‘The Zuck’ may have gone a little too hard in training, resulting in a torn ACL. Mark Zuckerberg revealed the injury in a post on Instagram after undergoing surgery to repair the damage.

“Tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery to replace it,” Zuckerberg wrote. “Grateful for the doctors and team taking care of me. I was training for a competitive MMA fight early next year, but now that’s delayed a bit. Still looking forward to doing it after I recover. Thanks to everyone for the love and support.”

Mark Zuckerberg Still Gunning for MMA Debut after Elon Musk Debacle

Interestingly, Zuckerberg noted that he was in the process of training to make an MMA debut in 2024. Earlier this year, the 39-year-old billionaire was slated to scrap with Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. However, the fight quickly fell apart after Musk and Zuckerberg had a difference of opinion on how the contest should be promoted.

Though his fight with Musk is all, but dead, Zuckerberg has continued to maintain interest in one day stepping inside the Octagon to test out his skills.

In May, ‘The Zuck’ took home gold and silver medals in his first Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament.

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.’”

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg emerges from latest sparring session sporting two black eyes

Mark ZuckerbergFacebook found Mark Zuckerberg emerged from his latest sparring session sporting a couple of black eyes. The billionaire tech guru has earned the attention and, for the most part, the respect of the MMA community over the last year after he started doing some serious training in his free time. Videos of ‘The Zuck’ putting […]

Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook found Mark Zuckerberg emerged from his latest sparring session sporting a couple of black eyes.

The billionaire tech guru has earned the attention and, for the most part, the respect of the MMA community over the last year after he started doing some serious training in his free time. Videos of ‘The Zuck’ putting in work alongside athletes like Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, and ONE submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci have made the rounds online. Fans even saw Zuckerberg walk away from his first submission grappling competition with a gold medal.

Recently, the META CEO shared a post-training image of himself on social media. We can’t confirm the details of what happened during the session, but it certainly looks like Zuckerberg took the brunt of the damage.

“Sparring got a little out of hand,” Zuckerberg wrote on Instagram. “May need to update my avatar.”

The Saga of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk

As most fight fans know, Mark Zuckerberg was long-linked to a scrap with Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. After trading a few barbs on social media, Musk laid down a challenge suggesting the two settle their differences in a cage match. That was enough for UFC CEO Dana White to interject himself into the situation, offering to promote what he touted as the biggest charity event in the history of the world.

Of course, the bout would never come to fruition after Musk attempted to dictate where, when, and how the fight would take place. That didn’t sit well with Zuckerberg who opted to bow out.

‘The Zuck’ has largely remained out of the MMA spotlight since then, but every once in a while fans get a glimpse of his evolution in combat sports.