In a turn of events that would have seemed absolutely nonsensical only a matter of weeks ago, Elon Musk — renowned entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla — was recently seen enjoying a martial arts training session as he prepares for a touted face-off with Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook and Meta co-founder. Musk’s impromptu sparring session took place on Tuesday, with images shared by podcaster and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Lex Fridman showcasing Musk’s surprising strength and skills.
Musk is rarely not a topic of daily conversation, but somehow he’s managed to raise yet more eyebrows by throwing it down with jiu-jitsu expert and podcaster Lex Fridman in an effort to showcase his skills ahead of his rumoured fight with rival billionaire weirdo Mark Zuckerberg. As much as it pains me to say it, apparently, he’s rather good…
Fridman — who actually cut his teeth as an AI and machine-learning researcher at MIT before turning to the far more glamorous world of getting thrown around by superrich brats — posted the photos on Twitter along with some surprisingly gushing admiration for Musk’s abilities.
“I did an impromptu training session with [Elon] for a few hours yesterday. I’m extremely impressed with his strength, power, and skill, on the feet and on the ground,” Fridman wrote. “It was epic.” Musk, seemingly looking to stay humble, simply remarked, “That was fun!”
WATCH: Fridman has also taken on Musk’s rumoured opponent, the mighty Mark Zuckerberg.
Musk has often referred to his self-proclaimed alter ego — “the Walrus” — implying that the full extent of his martial arts skills can be summed up in his signature move of doing nothing other than lying on top of his opponent, holding them down with sheer mass. The photos shared by Fridman, however, revealed a side of Musk far removed from this, actually showing off some pretty impressive moves and implicitly suggesting a more dedicated and rigorous approach to training than either his self-deprecating nickname or general ‘edgelord’ energy online would suggest.
Just after the images were published, Musk accepted an offer from UFC legend Georges St-Pierre to train him ahead of the big fight. St-Pierre, a retired 42-year-old champion, expressed his admiration for Musk and suggested they become training partners ahead of the clash with Zuckerberg. Musk wasted no time in accepting the offer, responding to St-Pierre enthusiastically and sealing the deal with two fire emojis.
The rivalry between Musk and Zuckerberg escalated earlier this month when the 51-year-old Twitter owner challenged the 39-year-old Facebook founder to a cage match. Why the suddenly macho turn? Because Zuckerberg-owned Instagram unveiled plans to develop a text-based social media platform to compete directly with Twitter.
While Musk revealed on Joe Rogan’s podcast last year that he had trained in various martial arts disciplines during his childhood — including Kyokushin karate, taekwondo, judo, and brief exposure to Brazilian jiu-jitsu — Zuckerberg has been sharing videos of his MMA gym training since September last year and even won an amateur competition last month.
I did an impromptu training session with @elonmusk for a few hours yesterday. I'm extremely impressed with his strength, power, and skill, on the feet and on the ground. It was epic. It's really inspiring to see Elon and Mark doing martial arts, but I think the world is served… pic.twitter.com/cq00A9Xnmw
— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) June 27, 2023
The pair have also been flexing their dedication to fitness outside of martial arts, with Zuckerberg showcasing his dedication to physical fitness by completing the brutal “Murph” challenge over Memorial Day weekend, consisting of a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and concluding with another mile-long run… all while wearing a 20-pound weighted vest. He completed the challenge in just under 40 minutes.
Although Musk confessed to a lack of enthusiasm for exercise, saying he “wouldn’t exercise at all” if he could help it, he does boast a significant size advantage over the comparatively diminutive Zuckerberg. Standing at 5’11 and weighing 180 pounds, the Walrus actually appears fairly formidable compared to Zuckerberg, who stands at 5’7 and weighs in at 154 pounds.
Critics — both amateur and professional alike — are torn on the potential outcome of the fight. Fridman, in a move that surprised many, seemed not to care, instead urging the pair to stay out of the ring altogether:
“I think the world is served far better if they train martial arts but not fight in the cage… That said, as Elon says, the most entertaining outcome is the most likely… I’m there for them, no matter what.”
Lex Fridman
The precise date and official confirmation of the spar between Musk and Zuckerberg remain elusive, but the intensity of their rivalry — which has reportedly developed behind closed doors for several years —suggests that a full-blown showdown could be on the cards. It seems that though money can’t buy you taste, it can buy you a bloody big cage.