Zuckerberg: Musk didn't take cage fighting seriously or he knew how to contact me

Focus

• 1

  The highly anticipated cage fight between Musk and Zuckerberg has attracted global attention, but the game seems to be coming to an end. Zuckerberg criticized Musk for not taking his battle seriously and said he had given up hope of fighting.

• 2

  Zuckerberg said that if Musk takes the game seriously, he knows how to contact him. Otherwise, it's time to look forward. He will focus on competing with those who take the sport seriously.

• 3

  Musk admits that he doesn't practice much and feels that his chances of winning are slim. Given his size difference with Zuckerberg, he compares the latter to a modern version of Bruce Lee and is more likely to win!

• 4

  Zuckerberg said he loves combat sports and was ready to fight from the day Musk challenged him! If Musk sets a date for the game, he will inform fans immediately.

Tencent Technology News News on August 14, the proposed cage fight between Tesla CEO Elon Musk (Elon Musk) and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Mark Zuckerberg) seems to be in vain. On Sunday, local time in the United States, Zuckerberg posted that Musk did not take his battle seriously and it was time to look forward!

Zuckerberg said Musk doesn't seem to want the much-anticipated cage fight because he hasn't even confirmed a date. Zuckerberg said he has now given up hope in the fight.

He wrote on his social networking site Threads: "I think we've all realized that Musk didn't take this game seriously! I proposed a cage date, and Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White offered to turn the cage fight into a legitimate charity fight. But Musk didn't set a date, then said he needed surgery and now asked for a round of practice in my backyard. ”

Zuckerberg added: "If Musk is really serious about this game, he knows how to contact me. Otherwise, it's time to look forward. I will focus on competing with those who are serious about the sport. ”

Earlier Sunday, Musk posted screenshots of text messages communicating with Zuckerberg on his social media site X.

Zuckerberg wrote: "If you still want to compete in real MMA (mixed martial arts), then you should train yourself and let me know when you're ready for a fight," Zuckerberg wrote. I don't want to keep hyping up something that will never happen, so you either decide to race right away or we just move on. ”

Musk replied: "I'll be in Palo Alto on Monday, let's fight in your octagonal field!" I didn't practice much, but I felt like I had little chance of winning. Given our size difference, maybe you're the modern Bruce Lee and more likely to win! ”

Zuckerberg concluded: "I love the sport and from the day Musk challenged me, I was ready to fight! If he sets a date for the game, I'll tell you guys. Until then, assume that everything he says has not been agreed. ”

Here are the current known details about this cage fight:

1. Will they really get into the ring (or octagon)?

Before Zuckerberg's post Sunday afternoon, Musk announced last Friday that the game would be run by him and Zuckerberg's foundation. But Musk also mentioned that day that he needed minor surgery and "it will take several months to fully recover."

Despite bookmakers inviting bets, UFC chairman Dana White is said to have been involved in organizing the proposed bout, and both tech greats are apparently willing to participate, but experts believe the bout is unlikely.

Mathieu Deflem, a professor of sociology at the University of South Carolina, said: "I very much doubt that the game will not be able to go on. The idea itself is exciting, but the reality can backfire and even feel a little disgusting. ”

Other researchers say there is no need for the cage bucket itself, as the focus is on creating publicity stunts by talking about covenants. Laura Grindstaff, chair of the sociology department at the University of California, Davis, said cage fights were "highly unlikely" and that "hype trumps show."

2. When does the cage fight take place?

So far, the only date mentioned about the cage fight is August 26, which Zuckerberg proposed on August 6. He wrote at the time: "I'm ready today! When Musk first presented the challenge, I suggested playing on August 26. But he did not give confirmation! ”

Zuckerberg replied to Musk's post at the time, in which he said he spent the day practicing weightlifting in preparation for cage fights. Musk doesn't have time to exercise, he says on X, so he can only practice outside of work. On the same day, Musk said he might need surgery due to neck and upper back injuries, so the date of the fight has not yet been set.

None of Musk, Zuckerberg nor the UFC responded to requests for details of the proposed game.

3. Where will the cage fight take place?

Musk wrote Friday that Italy's prime minister and culture minister had agreed on the best place for the match. "Everything in the frame will be Roman, so there is no modern element," he said. ”

Zuckerberg revealed that Musk also asked for a round of practice in his backyard.

Earlier, Musk said the bout would be held in the "Las Vegas Octagon," a UFC arena in Nevada that hosts mixed martial arts events. On another occasion, he announced that the match could be held at the Colosseum in Rome.

Experts who study celebrities in the tech sector say the latter claim is "unlikely to come true."

"I mean, we know this game isn't going to happen at the Colosseum, and that's part of Musk and Zuckerberg's attempt to create a huge publicity effect. Even the UFC is promoting it because it's a good publicity for them," Benjamin Little said. He is the co-author of "The New Patriarchs of Digital Capitalism," a study of two tech founders.

The match is not on the UFC's online schedule, which shows matches played until November 11.

4. What are the rules of the competition?

While Zuckerberg hinted that the bout would follow the rules of mixed martial arts championships, Musk posted that his fighting style was inspired by "World Wrestling Entertainment," whose matches are usually scripted and programmed in advance.

5. Who will win Musk or Zuckerberg?

The betting site Oddspedia has been calculating odds for this match since June. As of Sunday afternoon, Zuckerberg, 39, had a 79 percent chance of beating Musk, 51.

Zuckerberg is a mixed martial arts fighter with big ambitions. He revealed on Instagram that he won gold and silver medals for the Guerrilla judo team in his first competition in May. He also completed the Murph Challenge, which included "running 1600 meters, doing 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and then 1600 meters, all with a 20-pound (about 9-kilogram) backpack" and completed it in less than 40 minutes.

6. Why are Musk and Zuckerberg willing to fight?

When asked by an X user about the significance of the battle, Musk replied: "This is a form of civilized warfare. And men love war! ”

Zuckerberg also hinted in a post on the Threads website that he was interested in the sport because he "loves the sport and no matter what happens here, he will continue to compete with those who are professionally trained."

Multiple researchers said Musk and Zuckerberg confronted each other in public to reinvent their image and their masculinity.

Laura Greenstaff, chair of the sociology department at UC Davis: "It seems to me that these two famous nerds in the field of culture are using this publicity stunt to reinvent their masculinity (in a half-joking way) in yet another entrepreneurial adventure." Not only do they have a shrewd mind, but they also have a healthy body. Watch them cage to prove their physical strength. ”

Alison Winch, co-author of "The New Veterans of Digital Capitalism," says both Musk and Zuckerberg are reinventing their masculinity as geeks. She said: "Zuckerberg has been moving closer to the role of father, and Musk has been close to the image of Iron Man. Recently, they have leaned more towards the style of male leaders. ”

Musk recently said that the game will be streamed live on X and that proceeds will go to veterans charities. But he did not specify which charity.

Little said these tech entrepreneurs are using the battle to spread the word by rolling out new features on their apps, like X Live Streaming.

7. Why do viewers want to watch Musk and Zuckerberg cage fight?

Researchers say this kind of competition is an effective advertising strategy because it creates drama and tension in the audience.

Sociology professor Greenstaff called their attempt to be "the real man in the room" "smart" because it attracts all kinds of people. "Some people see cage fighting as a cultural satire of traditional masculinity norms, while others see it as an affirmation of traditional norms," she said. ”

Others believe that while the duo's match was strategic to try to maintain their celebrity effect, the move did help attract fans' attention.

"Conflict is often conducive to generating narratives," Winch said. We are looking forward to this battle and wondering who will win. Even in 2023, we are not free from the anticipation of a protracted battle between two people! (Text/Golden Deer)