Tag: Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg Provides Update On Plans For MMA Debut

Mark Zuckerberg is serious about having an MMA fight at some stage even if his plans have been on the backburner for the time being. The Meta CEO is a big fan of the sport and now works alongside UFC CEO Dana White after the promoter was recently added to the companies board of directors. […]

Mark Zuckerberg is serious about having an MMA fight at some stage even if his plans have been on the backburner for the time being. The Meta CEO is a big fan of the sport and now works alongside UFC CEO Dana White after the promoter was recently added to the companies board of directors.

Throughout 2023, there was even talk of a fight between Zuckerberg and Elon Musk being promoted by White though the rumours and social media messages between them never materialized into something serious. With or without Musk, Zuck wants to compete but he wants to be able to commit to the training first.

He has been actively learning jiu-jitsu for some time and has seemingly been sparring in recent years also although his progress was halted by an ACL tear towards the end of 2023. Having spent time in the company of some of the best fighters in the world, along with watching them cage-side, Zuckerberg recently told Joe Rogan during a recent podcast that he still has intentions to compete.

“I want to [fight],” Zuckerberg said on The Joe Rogan Experience. “And I think I probably will, but we’ll see.”

The problem with setting a time frame is that Zuckerberg is expecting a big year due to the recent developments in AI which will have a massive impact on his business.

“2025 is going to be a very busy year on the AI side,” Mark said. “And I think the idea of having a competition, you really need to get into the head space of ‘I’m going to fight someone this week.’ So I need to figure this out because I don’t know how, with everything that’s going on in AI, I’m going to have like a week or two where I can just get into, like, ‘I’m going to fight someone.’ But it’s good training and I would like to [fight] at some point.”

He also spoke about his ACL injury changed his mindset towards training in jiu-jitsu versus the entire mixed martial arts skillset. Despite suffering the injury during sparring, it pushed him further towards MMA.

“The thing about the ACL injury is I kind of thought before, ‘All right, I’m going to do some jiu jitsu competitions, I want to do one MMA fight, one pro or competitive MMA fight,’” Zuckerberg said. “And then I figured I’d go back to jiu jitsu. But tearing the ACL striking is a little more of a fluke. I think you’re much more likely to do that grappling.”

“So going through the ACL experience didn’t make me want to just exclusively go do the version where you’re just attacking joints all day long. I’m like, ‘All right, I can take a few more punches to the face before going back to that.’”

Mark Zuckerberg On UFC CEO Dana White Joining Meta’s Board Of Directors: ‘His Ability To Build Such A Beloved Brand…’

Mark Zuckerberg announced on Monday that UFC CEO Dana White has become a member of Meta’s board of directors. The two business men have struck up a relationship in recent years due to their mutual interest in each other’s companies which has seen Zuckerberg sit cage-side for multiple UFC events. At one point, there was […]

Mark Zuckerberg announced on Monday that UFC CEO Dana White has become a member of Meta’s board of directors. The two business men have struck up a relationship in recent years due to their mutual interest in each other’s companies which has seen Zuckerberg sit cage-side for multiple UFC events.

At one point, there was even talks of White promoting a fight between the Meta CEO and Elon Musk although that eventually dissolved.

This move presents a new challenge for White who is always looking to challenge himself. Of course, the financial gain in becoming a part of a massive organization like Meta is sure to be a motivating factor also with White set to reportedly receive a retainer of at least $50,000 after joining the board alongside two other new members.

Zuckerberg and Meta have been specifically linked to the UFC in recent times following White’s comments on the way that the promotion creates its ranking system for the fighters. He has spoken about wanting to use AI in order to take opinion out of the conversation following his criticism throughout 2024 regarding the current method.

“I’ve never been interested in joining a board of directors until I got the offer to join Meta’s board,” White said in a statement. “I am a huge believer that social media and AI are the future.”

Zuckerberg is also excited to see the value that White can bring to Meta as in his own statement. As an avid mixed martial arts fan, he praised the UFC boss for the work that he has done to transform the promotion into a major player in sport which in turn, has made MMA into a mainstream product.

“(White) has built (UFC) into one of the most valuable, fastest growing and most popular sports enterprises in the world,” Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook. “I’ve admired him as an entrepreneur and his ability to build such a beloved brand.”

Meta Appoints UFC President Dana White to Board of Directors, Eyeing Major Innovations in AI with Mark Zuckerberg

Dana White mark zuckerbergIn a strategic move to strengthen its leadership, Meta Platforms Inc. has announced the addition of Dana White, President…

Dana White mark zuckerberg

In a strategic move to strengthen its leadership, Meta Platforms Inc. has announced the addition of Dana White, President of the UFC, to its board of directors. White is joined by John Elkann, CEO of Exor and chairman of Ferrari, and Charlie Songhurst, a seasoned technology investor, as the newest members of the tech giant’s leadership team.

Dana White Joins Meta Board of Directors

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who is known for his interest in mixed martial arts, expressed enthusiasm for the appointments. “Dana, John, and Charlie bring a depth of expertise and perspective that will help us tackle the massive opportunities ahead with AI, wearables, and the future of human connection,” Zuckerberg stated.

Dana White, widely credited with transforming the UFC into a global sports powerhouse, shared his excitement about the new role. “I’ve never been interested in joining a board of directors until I got the offer to join Meta’s board. I am a huge believer that social media and AI are the future,” White said. “There is nothing I love more than building brands, and I look forward to helping take Meta to the next level.”

Mark Zuckerberg

Meta has been at the forefront of innovation in artificial intelligence and the metaverse, pivoting its focus in recent years to these emerging technologies. The company has achieved remarkable growth, with its market valuation nearing $1 trillion in early 2024.

Dana White mark zuckerberg

Dana White’s addition to the board reflects Meta’s broader ambition to integrate diverse expertise into its leadership as it explores new frontiers in technology and human connection. Alongside White, John Elkann brings extensive experience in global investments and automotive innovation, while Charlie Songhurst adds deep knowledge in enterprise software, AI, and strategic acquisitions from his tenure at Microsoft.

Dana White and Mark Zuckerberg became friends as the Meta CEO was taking a highly active interest in competing in MMA. He has even trained with UFC champions and has attended dozens of UFC events. Dana White reached out to Zuckerberg to help use AI to transform the UFC’s ranking system.

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.