Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg Continue Teasing Cage Fight, Legal Odds Remain Scant

Posted on: August 7, 2023, 09:10h. 

Last updated on: August 7, 2023, 12:23h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, two of the world’s richest men, continue to hint that their UFC-like cage fight first teased in June might actually happen.

Elon Musk Mark Zuckerberg odds fight
Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk continue to tease a potential fight in Las Vegas. Zuck is the betting front-runner according to oddsmakers in the UK taking action on the potential novelty happening. (Image: TMZ)

Musk, owner of X, formerly Twitter, and Zuck, the majority owner of Facebook, engaged in a fight of words on their social media platforms in June. That’s after Facebook’s parent company, Meta, announced a Twitter rival called Threads. Musk, the richest person on Earth with an estimated fortune of $232.5 billion, scolded Zuckerberg’s Threads plans by sarcastically saying the global population “can’t wait to be exclusively under Zuck’s thumb.”

Musk has reasoned his $44 billion takeover of Twitter last year on grounds that the social media “town square” shouldn’t be overly censored by leftists like Zuckerberg. After a Twitter user told Musk he might want to be careful with his attacks on the Facebook founder because of his jiujitsu training, Musk answered, “I’m up for a cage match if he is.”

While Musk included an “lol” in the tweet, Zuckerberg’s apparent interest led to the two squabbling online and UFC President Dana White getting involved. White has offered to host the billionaire showdown in Las Vegas at the UFC Octagon in what White believes would be “the biggest fight ever in the history of the world.”

Musk, Zuck Tease Streaming Platform

Musk reignited the fight rumors this week by telling his 152 million X followers that he’s amid training. The SpaceX and Boring Company founder and CEO, and product architect of Tesla, said he’s “lifting weights throughout the day” in preparation for his fight with Zuckerberg.

Don’t have time to work out, so I just bring them [the weights] to work,” Musk tweeted.

Musk followed that tweet up with a tease that the fight will be live-streamed on his X platform. Proceeds from the spectacle will go to veterans’ charities, he added.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1688091377823895552

Zuckerberg continued the billionaires’ bickering by citing Twitter’s shortcomings in hosting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) 2024 presidential campaign announcement in which the platform crashed amid heavy traffic.

Shouldn’t we use a more reliable platform?” Zuck questioned on his Threads account.

Zuckerberg says Musk is responsible for the delay in setting a fight date.

“I’m ready today. I suggested Aug. 26 when he first challenged, but he hasn’t confirmed. Not holding my breath. I love this sport and will continue competing with people who train no matter what happens here,” Zuckerberg added.

Odds Scant

U.S. gaming regulators typically require a governing body to oversee a fight before allowing licensed oddsmakers to take action. In Nevada, boxing bouts and UFC mixed martial arts fights are governed by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

The Nevada Athletic Commission hasn’t yet been petitioned to oversee the Musk-Zuck showdown, should it happen. And that’s resulted in most states continuing to prohibit regulated sportsbooks from taking action on the hypothetical fight.

But oddsmakers overseas where regulations tend to be laxer when it comes to novelty events — and books like Unibet in the UK — have Zuckerberg the favorite at -250 (2/5). Musk is the dog at +175.