Elon Musk released a detailed outline of his much-hyped cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg on Friday—but he apparently did so without getting his rival’s sign-off.
According to Musk’s tweet, the fight is scheduled to take place near the ruins of ancient Rome and will be livestreamed both on Meta and on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter). Rather than have the UFC organize the fight—as had been anticipated—Musk declared that it will be overseen by his and Zuckerberg’s foundations.
“I spoke to the [prime minister] of Italy and Minister of Culture. They have agreed on an epic location,” he wrote, adding that all proceeds would be donated to veterans. “Everything done will pay respect to the past and present of Italy.”
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Hours later, Zuckerberg denied that the two had reached any sort of consensus. “I love this sport and I've been ready to fight since the day Elon challenged me,” he wrote on his Twitter rival, Threads. “If he ever agrees on an actual date, you'll hear it from me. Until then, please assume anything he says has not been agreed on.”
Zuckerberg added that he supported competing “in a way that puts a spotlight on the elite athletes at the top of the game,” an outcome best achieved “by working with professional orgs like the UFC or ONE.”
Meanwhile, Italy’s Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano also poured cold water on elements of Musk’s plan. “I had a long and friendly phone conversation with Elon Musk,” he said in a statement, according to The Guardian. “We talked about the common passion for the history of ancient Rome. We are discussing how to [organize] a great charity and historical evocation event, in full respect of the sites. It will not be held in Rome.”
If the fight does happen, it may not take place for a while. Musk has said he needs surgery to deal with nagging injuries. In a tweet Friday, he wrote that he had spent three hours getting an MRI earlier in the week. His spine was in good condition, he said, “however, there is a problem with my right shoulder blade rubbing against my ribs, which requires minor surgery. Recovery will only take a few months.”
In the interim, Musk said, he has been “lifting hard almost every day.” Zuckerberg, for his part, posted an image to Threads on Friday of himself dueling in his backyard octagon.
