UFC CEO Dana White has finally laid to rest the speculation surrounding a potential mega-fight between tech titans Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. During the post-fight press conference for UFC Fight Night: Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Manel Kape, White provided a detailed account of the serious negotiations that fell through.
White confirmed that the talks were not just a publicity stunt, revealing the extent of his personal involvement in the project.
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“That was real. I was literally in my backyard for two weeks negotiating that fight,” White stated.
Watch a clip of the press conference here (via Happy Punch on X):
Roman Colosseum Costs
According to White, the primary obstacle was not the willingness of Zuckerberg and Musk but the exorbitant cost of the proposed venue, which he claims was the Colosseum in Rome.
The UFC boss disclosed that the iconic ancient site demanded a staggering fee to host the event.
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Dana White has a close relationship with Kaulig and Ram Trucks. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“The Colosseum wanted something like $150 million to do it there,” White revealed.
He explained that this astronomical sum was not a standard rental fee, but a contribution to a fund dedicated to restoring historic landmarks across Italy.
Despite the immense financial commitment required, White indicated that the two billionaires were prepared to cover the cost.
“Those two were gonna put up the money for the Colosseum,” he said, confirming their serious intent.
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(L-R) Dana White, President-elect Donald Trump, Kid Rock, and Elon Musk pose for a photo during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024, in New York City.Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
This figure makes the proposed event significantly more expensive than even the UFC’s groundbreaking Freedom 250 event at the White House, which reportedly cost around $60 million. The $150 million price tag ultimately proved to be the decisive factor that caused the plans to fall apart.
White’s comments highlight that the discussions were advanced, involving not just the fighters but international governmental bodies. He confirmed he was participating in conference calls with Italian authorities to make the bout a reality.
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Roadblocks to Zuckerberg vs. Musk
While the Colosseum was the focal point, White also revealed that other logistical issues, like weight class and rules, were also points of contention that complicated the deal.
“I had a blast doing the negotiations with that thing, talking to Elon for an hour every night, talking to Mark an hour every night… [the negotiations were] about the fight, where it would be, weight classes, this, that,” he detailed in an interview with Tucker Carlson last year.
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“I was literally doing conference calls with the government in Italy to do this thing in the Colosseum in Rome,” White told Carlson. “For the right number, the Colosseum was going to let us do that fight there. Eventually, it started to fall apart, but while it lasted it was fun.”
Why Was This Ever a Possibility?
The fight’s origins trace back to June 2023, when Musk challenged Zuckerberg to a cage match on social media, a rivalry intensified by the launch of Meta’s Threads, a direct competitor to Musk’s X.
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(Via Elon Musk on X):
However, despite the public back-and-forth and White’s direct involvement, a final agreement was never reached.
White’s willingness to entertain the idea remains, but only under one condition.
“Anybody that wants to put up the money for UFC to fight in the Colosseum, I’m in,” he declared during the press conference.
The bout between the world’s wealthiest individuals would undoubtedly have drawn a crowd, even if the skill level displayed by Zuckerberg and Musk would not have been remotely comparable to professional, or even most amateur, MMA fights.
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Ultimately, the dream for some of seeing Musk and Zuckerberg settle their rivalry in the Octagon remains a what-if scenario, as White revealed that the battle of the billionaires never left the negotiation table.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
