The world of combat sports is abuzz with speculation after Dana White, the renowned president of the UFC, dropped an interesting revelation during a recent interview. When asked about the potential for the biggest blockbuster event in combat sports, White didn’t mince words, confidently stating that a clash between tech titans Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg could shatter pay-per-view records.
“I never say never, but probably not,” White said on “Outkick.”
“Listen, I like both guys,” White said previously. “One of the things that I try not to do is judge people by – I don’t want to be judged by my politics. I’m a believer in what I believe in, and there’s certain things that I feel a certain way about, and I don’t judge people by theirs. I don’t know exactly where all those guys stand. I don’t get into that. How I judge people is how they are with me, and how we interact with each other.”
“So I like Mark a lot, and I like Elon. Let me tell you who would win in that fight would be whatever charities were picked to donate the money to – they would be the absolute winners, because I think that thing would do a billion dollars in revenue, and they wanted 90 percent of the money to go to charity. So it would have been the biggest charity event ever held in history, especially for one night, and it would have helped a lot of people.”
White’s bold claim stems from the intense public rivalry that has been brewing between Musk and Zuckerberg. The two tech moguls have exchanged verbal jabs and challenges, fueling speculation about a potential high-stakes combat sports event. While the details remain hazy, the prospect of these influential figures stepping into the ring or octagon has captured the imagination of fans worldwide.
Historically, the highest-grossing pay-per-view event was the legendary boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in 2015, which generated approximately $400 million in revenue. White believes a Musk vs. Zuckerberg showdown could dwarf that figure, potentially reaching an unprecedented 8 million pay-per-view buys.
Of course, making such a fight a reality would require navigating a complex web of logistics and negotiations. Both Musk and Zuckerberg have expressed interest in the past, but their respective commitments and busy schedules could pose significant obstacles.
Nonetheless, White remains optimistic, hinting that behind-the-scenes discussions may already be underway. “Never say never in this business,” he said with a wry smile. “Stranger things have happened.”
