In a revealing interview with Tucker Carlson, UFC President Dana White disclosed that discussions with the Italian government about hosting a potential mixed martial arts showdown between tech titans Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg at Rome’s historic Colosseum had progressed further than previously known.
“So, I don’t know Mark Zuckerberg. Never talked to him. Saw the movie. You know, that’s as much as I knew about Mark Zuckerberg.”
“I walk into his living room, and they put me in there to wait. He’s got this American flag on the wall with like 13 stars on it or whatever, you know what I mean? And I’m like, off to a good start.”
“In the back, he’s got a house right on the lake. The biggest American flag you’ve ever seen in your life, ripping in the wind in the backyard.”
“Then he comes in. We sit down, we have dinner, and we probably talk for four hours.”
“And I walked away from that first meeting liking Mark. We started to create a relationship from there. We talked, and, you know, he’s a UFC fan, and we became friends.”
“Then, the whole Elon vs. Mark Zuckerberg fight thing—that was going on at that time. That was real. And I was in the middle of it.”
“And I had a blast doing the negotiations for that thing—talking to Elon every night, talking to Mark an hour every night.”
“I was talking to the government of Italy and they were on board. They wanted to do it in the Colosseum,” White shared during the interview, shedding new light on the highly publicized possibility of the two billionaire CEOs facing off in the ancient amphitheater.
The potential event, which captured global attention earlier this summer when Musk and Zuckerberg exchanged social media challenges, could have marked a historic moment by bringing modern combat sports to the 2,000-year-old venue.
White explained that both tech moguls were committed to ensuring the event would benefit charitable causes. “Both guys were absolutely dead serious about this,” he said, emphasizing the genuine nature of the discussions.
However, despite the high-level negotiations and apparent interest from Italian authorities, the anticipated clash between the Tesla/X CEO and Meta’s founder has yet to materialize. The Colosseum, which last hosted gladiatorial events in the 6th century AD, remains a protected historical site and major tourist attraction, welcoming millions of visitors annually.
The potential bout between Musk and Zuckerberg continues to generate speculation, though concrete plans remain elusive. While the historic Roman venue may be off the table, the public’s fascination with the proposed matchup between two of tech’s most prominent figures persists.
Neither Musk nor Zuckerberg have officially commented on White’s latest revelations about the Italian government’s involvement in the proposed event.
