Dana White Reveals Musk-Zuckerberg Colosseum Fight Was Serious

UFC CEO Dana White has revealed that plans for a highly publicized cage fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg were far more advanced than many believed. Speaking to reporters after a UFC event in Las Vegas on Saturday night, White said the proposed matchup was genuine and that he personally spent two weeks working on negotiations for a potential event.

According to White, one of the venues seriously considered was Rome’s historic Colosseum. He said organizers were informed that hosting the fight at the ancient landmark would cost approximately $150 million, with the funds intended to support the restoration of other historic sites across Italy. White added that he remains open to staging a UFC event at the venue if someone is willing to cover the cost.

The comments came after White was asked whether mixed martial arts could ever be held at the Colosseum. His remarks also followed the recent promotion of UFC Freedom 250, a landmark event held on the White House lawn that reportedly carried a price tag of about $60 million.

The idea of a Musk-Zuckerberg showdown first emerged in 2023 as tensions grew between the two technology leaders. Musk publicly challenged Zuckerberg shortly before Meta launched Threads, a social media platform designed to compete with Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter. Over the following weeks, Musk repeatedly referenced the potential bout on social media, while Zuckerberg appeared to take the challenge seriously.

Zuckerberg, who has trained extensively in martial arts and competed in jiu-jitsu tournaments, prepared with the help of several prominent UFC figures, including former champions Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski. Although it remains unclear exactly when White began exploring the possibility of a Colosseum event, Musk had floated the idea of fighting in the Las Vegas Octagon in June 2023 before later suggesting the Colosseum as a potential location. In August of that year, Musk said he had discussed hosting the event at a major Italian venue with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Despite widespread public interest and months of speculation, the fight never took place. By August 2023, Zuckerberg publicly questioned Musk’s commitment to the matchup, saying he no longer believed the Tesla and SpaceX chief was serious because no date had been finalized.

Since their public rivalry, both entrepreneurs have seen their wealth increase substantially. Zuckerberg’s net worth has risen from roughly $103 billion in 2023 to an estimated $198.2 billion. Musk, whose fortune stood at about $246 billion at the time of the challenge, has since become the first person to reach trillionaire status following SpaceX’s recent initial public offering. His wealth is currently estimated at approximately $1.2 trillion.