Dana White looking into holding Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg fight at Colosseum in Rome
In ancient Rome, gladiators fought in the Colosseum. In the 21st century, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg brawl in its ruins. At least, that’s what UFC president Dana White wants.
“I actually did have a meeting with the Minister of Culture’s team in Italy to actually hold that fight in the Colosseum if it would happen,” White said on an episode of Mike Tyson’s “Hotboxin.'” “We’re talking.”
Rumors of a potential bout between the two billionaires began in June when Musk, the owner of Twitter, responded to two users on the platform that he’s “up for a cage match if he is,” referring to Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and CEO.
Boasting a background of mixed martial arts training, Zuckerberg didn’t back down. Instead, the 39-year-old mogul posted a screenshot of Musk’s tweet attached to a “send me location” graphic. White believes the fight would be the biggest bout of all time.
“Both guys are absolutely serious about this,” White said in a TMZ exclusive. “This would be the biggest fight ever, in the history of the world. Bigger than anything that’s ever been done. It would break all pay-per-view records. These guys would raise hundreds of millions of dollars for charity.”
Sides of war form
Per TMZ, the administrators who oversee the Colosseum first reached out to Zuckerberg and were promptly directed to White. Former fighters have not hesitated to pick a side in the matter.
“I say Zuckerberg wins by a rear naked chokehold in the first round,” Matt Serra, a former UFC fighter, told the New York Post. “I don’t think his [stand up] striking is going to crack an egg, but I think he’s smart and will close the distance in grappling on the ground.”
Serra knows his stuff. The former welterweight champion is in the UFC Hall of Fame and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Not to be outdone, UFC legend and fellow former welterweight champion George St. Pierre offered his help on the other side of the fence.
“(Elon Musk,) I’m a huge fan of yours and it would be an absolute honor to help you and be your training partner for the challenge against Zuckerberg (fist emoji, smiling emoji),” St. Pierre wrote on Twitter.
As of now, the fight has not been set in stone. But, if White has any control over the situation, it’s only a matter of time.
“Think about how big that fight is — two of the richest, most powerful guys in the f***ing world are gonna fight on the biggest stage ever,” Dana said. “Who the f*** doesn’t wanna see that fight?? … That’s the kind of fight your f***ing grandmother would watch that fight.”
On3’s Nick Kosko also contributed to this article.