Meta CEO Zuckerberg Exhibits MMA Prowess On Floating Barge — Grapples With Professional Fighters

Mark Zuckerberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Meta Platforms Inc META, has recently exhibited his mixed martial arts (MMA) skills by engaging in a training session with professional fighters on a floating barge.

What Happened: A recent Business Insider report revealed a video on Instagram showing Zuckerberg’s MMA training with Nigerian-New Zealand MMA fighter Israel Adesanya and Australian MMA fighter Alexander Volkanovski. This training video, featuring various MMA activities set to the “Mission: Impossible” soundtrack, demonstrates Zuckerberg’s growing interest in the sport, which began during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Zuckerberg’s commitment to MMA training, which occurs three to four times a week, has been showcased in his social media posts over the past year. These posts have celebrated his achievements, such as earning his blue belt in jiu-jitsu and participating in his first jiu-jitsu tournament.

Speculation of a potential cage fight between Zuckerberg and Tesla Inc’s Elon Musk has been circulating since Musk’s tweet in June. Although Zuckerberg stated that Musk is not serious about an official fight, he continues to display his athletic side.

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Why It Matters: Zuckerberg’s newfound interest in MMA and public sharing of his training sessions marks a notable shift in his public persona. He first showcased his athletic side in a July 2021 video where he was seen surfing on an electric hydrofoil over the Fourth of July weekend.

His MMA training became more public in July 2023 when he started training with Adesanya, the current Middleweight UFC champion. This was around the same time rumors of a potential cage fight with Musk started to circulate.

In August 2023 Musk, Musk accused Zuckerberg of avoiding their agreed-upon fight. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg continues to publicly embrace his MMA training and interest in the sport.

Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com

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