--- title: "Elon Says the Zuck Fight Is Back On, Gladiator-Style" description: "If Elon Musk's recent posts are anything to go by, his fight with Mark Zuckerberg will be an epic, \"Gladiator\"-style affair in Italy." date: "2023-08-11" modified: "2023-08-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-mark-zuckerberg-fight-gladiator-style" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "elon musk" - "mark zuckerberg" - "the digest" --- # Elon Says the Zuck Fight Is Back On, Gladiator-Style ![If Elon Musk's recent posts are anything to go by, his fight with Mark Zuckerberg will be an epic, "Gladiator"-style affair in Italy.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Et Tu, Brute? Are you not entertained? Fear not! It sounds like we might get to see X-formerly-Twitter owner Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg bash each other's brains out after all. And if the former's [recent posts]() are anything to go by, it'll be an epic, "Gladiator"-style affair. "Livestream will be on this platform and Meta," Musk [tweeted](). "Everything in camera frame will be ancient Rome, so nothing modern at all." And no, this fight won't go down UFC-style at the octagon in Las Vegas — Musk and Zuckerberg will apparently travel to Italy for the battle. "I spoke to the PM of Italy and Minister of Culture," Musk said. "They have agreed on an epic location." While we personally couldn't care less *where* the fight will take place, we're just glad we might still get to see two tech titans beat each other down. Whether weapons will be part of the Gladiator brawl is still unclear. What *is* clear, however, it's that Musk sees the event as an opportunity to clown around and have a bit of fun. In other words, we're wholly expecting to see him in costume, not unlike the [$7,500 one]() he wore to Halloween last year. "Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre?" Musk wrote in a [tongue-in-cheek post](), which roughly translates to "is that a scroll in your toga, or are you just happy to see me?" ## Veni, Vidi, VC The news comes after a seemingly apprehensive Musk [suggested a "noble" debate]() with Zuckerberg instead. Musk has also come up with [plenty of other excuses]() to wriggle out of a fight, including claims of [needing surgery]() before going at it. "I spent three hours in an MRI machine on Monday," Musk [tweeted]() today. "Bottom line is that my C5/C6 fusion is solid, so not an issue." "However, there is a problem with my right shoulder blade rubbing against my ribs," he added, "which requires minor surgery. Recovery will only take a few months." In other words, if Musk were to choose to have such a procedure done soon, we'd likely have to wait for quite some time to watch him flail — and likely be beaten to a pulp by his [far more experienced]() opponent. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg is clearly ready to meet Musk in the ring now, and has yet to respond to his terrible Latin dad jokes. "I suggested Aug 26 when he first challenged, but he hasn't confirmed," Zuckerberg wrote in a [Threads post]() earlier this week. "Not holding my breath." **More on the fight:** *[Terrified Elon Musk Suggests "Debate" With Zuckerberg]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()