Mark Zuckerberg’s passion for mixed martial arts extends far beyond his personal training sessions. Recent revelations show the Meta CEO has been actively recruiting fellow tech executives and creators to join him on the mats.
According to Nick Clegg’s forthcoming book ‘How to Save the Internet,’ Zuckerberg’s dedication to MMA became so pronounced that he invited Meta’s most senior executives to participate in training sessions during a management offsite. The former president of Global Affairs at Meta shared an amusing anecdote about sparring with his deputy Joel Kaplan, who has since taken over Clegg’s role after he stepped down earlier this year.
During the corporate training session, Kaplan apparently executed a mount that Clegg described as “too close for comfort” – a maneuver that proved particularly intimate for a workplace setting.
The Meta founder’s enthusiasm for combat sports networking extends beyond his own company. In a surprising disclosure during a recent interview on the Colin and Samir show, YouTube star MrBeast revealed an unexpected invitation he received from Zuckerberg years ago, before the tech mogul had publicly revealed his martial arts interests.
“He invited me to his lake to like train and do MMA,” MrBeast recounted about their Zoom conversation. “I was like, what the f***? This is before he made that like public and people even knew he wrestled.”
The YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, admitted his shock at the invitation, explaining that he expected Zuckerberg to be “way more nerdy” and was confused by the focus on MMA and wrestling during their conversation.
When present for part of the interview, Zuckerberg responded with characteristic humor: “You don’t ask people to fight you the first time you meet?” He even suggested a hypothetical podcast format where guests would engage in combat before having their conversation.
Zuckerberg is seriously committed to his training regimen. The tech mogul has detailed his need for substantial caloric intake to balance the energy expended during intense workout sessions, often indulging in high-calorie meals to fuel his athletic pursuits.
Zuckerberg’s combat sports ambitions have even extended to high-profile potential matchups, including discussions about facing Elon Musk in competition. While a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu match was initially proposed, both tech leaders expressed interest in full MMA despite their vastly different training backgrounds and experience levels.
