Zuckerberg shows off ripped physique on Instagram after Musk challenges him to cage match
LOS ANGELES - Billionaire mogul Mark Zuckerberg just shared a photo of him looking extremely ripped.
A far cry from the scrawny-looking Facebook founding coding geek most Americans have grown accustomed to.
Remember in 2010 when Zuckerberg went viral for his trembling sweaty interview at D8: All Things Digital conference as he was asked about his company’s privacy policies?
But now, looking at his most recent Instagram post showing him posing with UFC champion Israel Adesanya, Zuckerberg appeared ready for a cage match.
"No fugazi with Mark," wrote Adesanya. "This is serious business."
"It was an honor to train with you guys!" responded Zuckerberg.
If you think you might have woken up in an alternate universe, you haven't
Zuckerberg is actually trained in mixed martial arts. The Facebook founder posted about completing his first jiujitsu tournament in May.
For those still scratching their heads, the recent update on Zuckerberg’s fitness comes weeks after a now-viral back-and-forth seen on Twitter and Instagram last month after Musk proposed a cage match between himself and Zuckerberg.
It all started when Musk, who owns Twitter, responded to a tweet about Meta reportedly preparing to release a new Twitter rival called "Threads." He took a dig about the world becoming "exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options" — but then one Twitter user jokingly warned Musk of Zuckerberg's jiujitsu training.
"I’m up for a cage match if he is lol," Musk wrote late Tuesday.
Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta Platforms, soon responded — and appeared to agree to Musk's proposal.
"Send me location," Zuckerberg wrote on a Wednesday night Instagram story, which showed a screenshot of Musk's tweet alongside another user's response urging the Twitter owner to "start training."
So is the fight actually happening?
UFC President Dana White not only seems hopeful, he said he spoke to both CEO’s about their willingness to fight.
"Both guys are absolutely dead serious about this," he told TMZ Live.
Despite the uncertainty of a cage match actually happening, bids are already being placed for a projected winner. DraftKings' projected odds stood at 140+ for Musk and -160 for Zuckerberg last month.
The Associated Press also reached out to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which owns the Octagon, and Twitter for statements. Twitter's press email responded with a poop emoji, its standard automated response to reporters.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.