Elon Musk has revealed that he may need surgery before the planned "cage match" with fellow tech tycoon Mark Zuckerberg takes an unexpected turn.
Although the two billionaires agreed to physical combat, their viability remains in the air. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have managed to keep the audience interested despite the uncertainties by exchanging online jabs. Musk even revealed that the match will be live-streamed on his social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.
Musk's choice to give the fight's revenues to a veterans' organization gave the event a charitable spin. Mark Zuckerberg, though, questioned the selection and offered a more dependable method for financing. The CEO of Facebook's parent firm, Meta Platforms Inc., voiced skepticism about the upcoming bout and said he was not "holding" his breath.
Musk Suffering From Massive Back Pain
Elon Musk said that he would get an MRI of his neck and upper back owing to suspected medical issues, increasing the uncertainty. The 52-year-old tech tycoon said surgery could be required; further information is anticipated this week, according to AP News.
If surgery is necessary, it may affect the scheduled cage battle, raising questions about the high-profile event. Given his positions as the CEO of Tesla Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and his ownership of the X platform, Elon Musk's health is a subject of curiosity for people worldwide.
Musk, renowned for his relentless work ethic, has previously spoken of experiencing "mega back pain" during a run-in with a sumo wrestler. Elon Musk has already used his health issues to enhance his public image. Last year, he challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to "single combat" over Ukraine, alluding to an injury incurred during a sumo fight, per NDTV.
Musk has consistently made news due to his propensity for inciting internet spectacles, and his competition with Zuckerberg has only intensified the showdown. Many were surprised by Zuckerberg's reaction to Musk's statement.
The co-founder of Facebook said, "I'm ready," thus reviving the discussion of the prospective mixed martial arts match. The notion of a "cage match" seemed to have waned in recent weeks, but it has been revived in light of Musk's affirmation of live broadcasting and Zuckerberg's preparedness.
Musk-Zuckerberg Cage Match Venue To Be Announced
The rumors of a Musk-Zuckerberg fight first surfaced in June when Elon Musk, the owner of X, replied to a tweet about Meta getting ready to launch Threads, a new Twitter competitor. A Twitter user then humorously forewarned Musk of Zuckerberg's jiu-jitsu training after Musk made fun of the world falling "exclusively under Zuck's thumb with no other options."
Elon Musk said he's "up for a cage match" if Zuckerberg is interested. Musk proposed the Las Vegas Octagon as a prospective location after Zuckerberg seemed to welcome the idea, per an NBC News report.
Given Musk's propensity to tweet impulsively or without taking action, it is still being determined if the battle between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk will take place in the Las Vegas arena.
Even though their jokey interaction resulted in their consent to a cage bout, it nevertheless attracted much media attention. In reaction, a never-ending torrent of memes and "choose your fighter" messages appeared online.