Zuckerberg started training as a joke mostly in his garage in 2021, where he built what he called a “mini academy” with a circle of friends who train with him. He has said that he appreciated that Brazilian jiu-jitsu required “100 percent concentration” and strategic thinking to defeat an opponent, rather than brute force.
Zuckerberg has sought out martial arts experts including Dave Camarillo, James Terry and Khai Wu. In May, he competed in his first public martial arts tournament in Redwood City, California, which he attended undercover, until he took off his cap and sunglasses to fight. He won gold and silver medals in the challenge.
Last year, Meta also announced that it had partnered with the UFC to bring mixed martial arts fights to Horizon Worlds, its virtual reality app.
Mr. White said that Mr. Zuckerberg was truly dedicated to the sport.
“I’ve been talking to Zuckerberg now for maybe close to two years,” he said. “And there are never jokes or we joke and laugh.” He said the Meta CEO was “very serious all the time.”
Zuckerberg is likely fit to fight. He has been on a strict exercise regimen, running and challenging friends and colleagues to beat his times, two people close to him said. This month, he posted a personal record for completing the “Murph” challenge, which requires completing a series of pull-ups, push-ups, running several miles, and doing hundreds of sit-ups, all while wearing heavy military-grade body armor.
“Doing sports that basically require your full attention, I think, is really important for my mental health and how I stay focused on whatever I’m doing,” he said in a recent podcast episode.
Mr. Musk, on the other hand, has tweeted who “almost never” exercises and once suffered a back injury who required surgery after participating in an exhibition with a sumo wrestler. This month he saying he had trained in “judo, Kyokushin (full contact)”, two Japanese martial arts, and “street fighting without rules”.