Does Elon Musk know martial arts? Experts believe Mark Zuckerberg has the edge amid cage fight furor

Elon Musk, 51, and Mark Zuckerberg, 39, recently had a feud on social media. On June 21, Twitter owner Musk took to his micro-blogging platform and declared that he is “up for a cage match” against Zuckerberg. The Meta owner responded in an Instagram story on Wednesday, asking the former to send him the location for the fight.

This social media fued between the two tech billionaires came on the heels of Zuckerberg’s company Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram, among others), announcing on June 21 that they will soon launch a text-based social media app like Twitter.

Dubbed “Project 92,” it will be publicly released as “Threads.” This news was shared on Meta's official Instagram account by the company’s chief product officer, Chris Cox. He also said that, contrary to Twitter, it will be “sanely run.”

Responding to a tweet about Meta's new venture, Musk said that it would ensure that Earth is “exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options.” A Twitter user replied to Musk's quip and said:

“Better be careful @ElonMusk I heard he does jiu-jitsu now.”

Elon Musk reacts to Meta's post on the launch of a new app called "Threads" to compete with Twitter. (Image via Twitter/Elon Musk)

Amidst this hilarious Twitter feud between the two tech entrepreneurs, speculation has risen regarding their claims. While both know martial arts, experts believe Zuckerberg has the edge over Musk. After all, even though the latter knows a greater number of martial arts, it’s the former that owns the medals.

Netizens have been wondering who will win if and when a cage fight indeed happens between the duo.

A tweet sharing the launch news of "Threads" as Twitter's rival platform. (Image via Twitter/Mario Nawfal)

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Both Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg know Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Recently, in a Joe Regan podcast, Elon Musk revealed that he is trained in multiple martial arts, including judo, Kyokushin karate, and taekwondo. He also stated how he learned them all as a youngster. Musk also added that he trained briefly in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the near past.

A jiu-jitsuJiu-Jitsutweet confirming both Elon and Mark's interest in a cage fight. (Image via Twitter/Alex Heath)

Likewise, Mark Zuckerberg took up training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu during the pandemic as a replacement for running. Since then, he has been in constant practice and even turned champion in the recently organized BJJ Tour competitions in Woodside, California. As part of the contest, he won both the gold and silver medals.

So, in terms of having medals and being in regular touch, Zuckerberg seems to have the edge over Musk. However, if the hypothetical fight ever occurs, Musk will have a substantial physical advantage. He is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 180 pounds. In comparison, Zuckerberg is only 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds.

So, experts are having a hard time analyzing who will have the edge in an apparent cage fight between the two billionaire businessmen. But most agree that it is Zuckerberg who has slightly better chances, thanks to his daily training and younger age. A few, however, say that he will be the underdog courtesy of Musk’s special move in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He calls it “The Walrus.” It refers to using a physical advantage against the opponent. But yes, both have almost 50/50 chances of victory.

As for the fight, Elon Musk responded to Mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram story with "Vegas Octagon." The Octagon, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, is the arena used for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitions.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Elon has challenged someone to a fight. Earlier, in March 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Twitter owner challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin “to single combat.” He also mentioned how the “Stakes are Ukraine,” where both the President’s name and Ukraine were written in Russian.

The matter did not end here. After waiting for several hours for Putin’s reply, Musk tagged his official Twitter profile and asked, “Do you agree to this fight?” also in Russian. When a user replied, saying that the Russian President would win if such a fight were to happen, Musk commented, “If Putin could so easily humiliate the West, he would accept the challenge. But he will not.”