Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX owner Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta, have reportedly been invited by the Italian government to hold their upcoming mixed martial arts bout in the ancient Roman Colosseum.
Though Italy’s Ministry of Culture attempted to pour cold water on the rumor, claiming no formal offer was made and that any events held in the Colosseum would need to be non violent, TMZ claims that the Ministry contacted Zuckerberg who the forwarded the request to Dana White of the UFC.
According to TMZ, this game of phone tag between governments and billionaires is “why Elon coyly mentioned the Colosseum in a tweet last night.”
“Some chance fight happens in Colosseum,” wrote Musk on Twitter, later adding a clip from “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” and noting he needs “to work on my endurance.”
Need to work on my endurancehttps://t.co/jjh7uxfwC6
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2023
The fight between the tech billionaires was announced in June after Zuckerberg made the suggestion and Musk accepted the offer.
Zuckerberg has been training in MMA gyms since September, according to the New York Post, “with the intent to prepare for MMA debuts.” At 39, Zuckerberg recently revealed he won his first amateur Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament, the outlet reported.
Still, both men have reportedly trained with Ivy League YouTube influencer Lex Fridman. Fridman spoke highly of Musk’s odds, despite him being more than a decade older than Zuckerberg at 52.
I did an impromptu training session with @elonmusk for a few hours yesterday. I'm extremely impressed with his strength, power, and skill, on the feet and on the ground. It was epic. It's really inspiring to see Elon and Mark doing martial arts, but I think the world is served… pic.twitter.com/cq00A9Xnmw
— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) June 27, 2023
“I did an impromptu training session with [Musk] for a few hours yesterday,” Fridman wrote on Twitter, adding that he was “extremely impressed” with the South African’s “strength, power, and skill” both “on the feet and on the ground,” calling Musk’s performance “epic.”
Fridman added, “It’s really inspiring to see Elon and Mark [Zuckerberg] doing martial arts,” but acknowledged that Musk is the underdog in the fight. “That said, as Elon says, the most entertaining outcome is the most likely,” noted Fridman. “I’m there for them, no matter what.”
Interior of the Roman Colosseum (FoekeNoppert / Wikimedia Commons)
The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is a giant elliptical stadium located in the center of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It was commissioned by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty and construction began in 72 AD, completing in 80 AD under the rule of his son, Titus. The Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests, animal hunts, mock sea battles and other public spectacles, capable of seating up to 50,000 to 80,000 spectators. The last known gladiatorial fights were held in 404 AD by Emperor Honorius, while the last recorded use of the Colosseum for entertainment purposes was in the 6th century, when it was transformed into a fortress by the Byzantine Empire.
In modern times, the Colosseum has been used as a location for many films, including “Gladiator” in 2000 and “Jupiter Ascending” in 2015. It remains one of the most iconic symbols of Ancient Rome and a popular tourist destination.
