Is Mark Zuckerberg OK? Meta CEO sustains torn ACL during MMA sparring days after Elon Musk's superfight challenge
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA: Facebook founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while training for mixed martial arts, and had to undergo surgery.
Currently in recovery, Zuckerberg shared a number of photos from his hospital bed on social media on November 3, detailing his ailment in the caption.
According to the Mayo Clinic, ACL connects the thighbone, i.e. femur, to the shinbone, i.e. tibia, and is one of the key ligaments that help stabilize the knee joint.
The 39-year-old billionaire stated that he was scheduled to have an MMA fight in early 2024, but the plans will likely need to be rescheduled.
Mark Zuckerberg 'grateful' to doctors after surgery
Posting images of himself in recovery with his left leg in a cast on Instagram and Facebook, Zuckerberg wrote, "Tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery to replace it. Grateful for the doctors and team taking care of me."
"I was training for a competitive MMA fight early next year, but now that's delayed a bit. Still looking forward to doing it after I recover. Thanks to everyone for the love and support," he continued.
View this post on Instagram
As of now, it has not been expressly stated who Zuckerberg was set to fight at the beginning of 2024, nor has there been a public announcement of a bout being scheduled, reported the Daily Mail.
However, his friend circle now includes top MMA fighters Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski, and he has been observed training with the likes of Henry Cejudo, former UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight Champion.
Mark Zuckerberg vs Elon Musk
The public rivalry between Zuckerberg and the Tesla CEO has intensified since the successful launch of Meta's Threads social media platform in July. The tech billionaires had challenged each other to a fight, which has not come to fruition yet.
Both blamed the other for why the bout did not take place. However, Musk, 52, recently went on Joe Rogan's podcast and claimed that he would take on Zuckerberg "anytime, anywhere, any place."
Notably, Zuckerberg has a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has won medals in local tournaments in California at the white belt level. On the other hand, Musk has never been reportedly involved in martial arts.