Something Weird Is Going On With Mark Zuckerberg and Saturday’s UFC Fight

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg can’t duck and weave the jabbing questions that he’s chargeable for shopping for out the complete enviornment for a significant UFC present this Saturday. The rolling hypothesis has even began to say that the Z-man himself needs to hop into the Octagon and check his mettle in opposition to a dwell opponent.

The UFC introduced earlier this week that they have been proscribing entry to the Las Vegas UFC Apex facility for this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night. Mackenzie Dern, a girls’s featherweight contender whose set to face Chinese MMA fighter Yan Xiaonan on this Saturday’s headline bout, told ESPN on Wednesday that “Mark Zuckerberg rented out the whole event.” She stated she didn’t know if Zuck himself could be there in individual or if the Meta CEO was taking part in the wealthy man’s card and getting his personal non-public occasion, however Dern stated it could be “very, very private.”

UFC President Dana White didn’t mince phrases making an attempt to quash that rumor shortly after Dern made her feedback.

Meta didn’t instantly reply to Gizmodo’s request for remark, however even with White’s full-throated denial, the truth that Zuckerberg has been speaking up his love of jiu-jitsu and MMA within the lead-up to this occasion has fueled hypothesis that one thing is afoot. As first famous by Vice, sports activities reporter Ariel Helwani said throughout a Wednesday livestream {that a} supply near the occasion instructed him the venue closing has one thing to do with Zuckerberg. It may very well be a promotion for Meta, or it may very well be one thing else, however most individuals with a humorousness argue it could be extra enjoyable general to observe any individual attempt to tag Mark’s exceptionally skinny face.

The occasion’s being closed to each the general public and sports activities media, however the struggle will nonetheless be televised and livestreamed on ESPN+. UFC has but to clarify why they’re closing the venue, with White telling ESPN they have been giving sports activities reporters “a night off.” There’s nonetheless no phrase on who or what could be occupying these a whole bunch of empty seats on the Apex. UFC didn’t instantly reply Gizmodo’s request for remark.

Zuckerberg has been open about his curiosity in MMA. He even talked up his personal coaching and love of martial arts on a current Joe Rogan podcast episode. The Meta CEO has proven off his MMA coaching regime in a video posted on his Facebook web page, and whereas he doesn’t look half-bad doing a little gentle technical work, he would actually need to maintain his gloves up in an precise full-contact match.

More probably, if that is certainly a promotional occasion, it’ll be an try to indicate off some new VR know-how that can tie into his firm’s down-the-rabbit-hole strategy to creating the metaverse. This may very well be something from digital product tie-ins to a full MMA VR recreation. On Wednesday, Zuckerberg launched one other promotional video for his or her upcoming VR headset demonstrating a VR model of Olympic rapier fencing, so any new successor to Wii Sports boxing could be instantly within the firm’s new wheelhouse.

Though as a lot as these movies are getting used to advertise his firm, Zuckerberg does appear to need to seem wherever his firm must showcase one thing bodily. He’s an alright fencer (he was captain on his highschool fencing group in any case, based on an interview with The New Yorker) and he appears wonderful for an novice brawler.

But Zuckerberg positioning himself because the face of his firm has not helped his picture when he’s mocked as a “secret lizard person” or that his self-styled avatar in Horizon Worlds seems like a creepy, thin-lipped doll. His tendency to get in entrance of the digital camera can’t assist however result in hypothesis that he’ll need to leap within the octagon this weekend. And truthfully, Zuck getting his face pounded would most likely do quite a bit to assist his public picture.