David Bridges
Mark Zuckerberg has been a hot topic of discussion within the MMA sphere after renting out the entire UFC Apex building for the UFC Vegas 61 card on October 1. The Meta CEO is an avid MMA fan, and by all accounts, he had a thrilling experience at the event as he sat alongside his wife and UFC President Dana White to privately enjoy the show.
Since the pandemic, the UFC has been holding Fight Night cards at its Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The arena holds approximately 500 people. However, the UFC closed off the UFC Vegas 61 card to the media and fans last Saturday to offer a special viewing to Zuckerberg.
The fight card was headlined by UFC strawweight contenders Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan. At the pre-fight press conference, Dern accidentally revealed to the media that Zuckerberg rented out the whole arena. Several reports also suggested that Dana White offered the tech CEO the unique experience.
This isn’t the first time that a famous figure has been seen cageside at a UFC event along with Dana White. However, fans and fighters were furious that Zuckerberg was allowed to rent out the entire event, keeping the fans and media away from the show.
Mark Zuckerberg shows off his MMA skills
Mark Zuckerberg has developed an interest in the sport to the point where he has been taking private sessions in MMA. The billionaire entrepreneur also shared a video on Instagram last month of his training session with MMA fighter Khai Wu.
In the video, the tech CEO can be seen demonstrating his skills in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and striking. Zuckberg also goes for a half guard before securing a triangle choke and an arm-bar. Here’s what he captioned the video:
“One of my training partners, @khaiwu, is making his @ufcfightpass debut tonight. Go get it Khai and looking forward to a great fight!”
Watch Mark Zuckerberg showcase his MMA skills in the video below:
The training footage took many by surprise as fans and even a few UFC fighters praised the Facebook owner for his solid MMA skills. The Meta CEO was looking quite sharp for someone who only recently started training.
Mason Thompson
