The lights hadn’t even dimmed for the UFC 320 main card, yet one of the world’s most recognizable faces was already in the building. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO and jiu-jitsu fanatic, arrived early at the T-Mobile Arena, ahead of most fans and maybe even Dana White. For a sport where A-listers usually show up fashionably late, Zuckerberg’s early arrival during the prelims instantly lit up the crowd and social media.
The UFC shared this moment of dedication by the Meta CEO on their X account with the caption, “In the building early 👀,” as fans couldn’t help but remember something similar happening not too long ago. Back at UFC 310, comedian Theo Von made news for being the first VIP that saw every single bout from start to finish, surrounded by rows of vacant seats until the main event began.
Von’s dedication became a meme: a superstar who came for the fights, not just the photo ops. So, when fans noticed Zuckerberg doing the same thing, the comparisons came flying fast. And in typical fight night fashion, the internet lit up. Fans couldn’t help but make the Theo Von comparisons, as they wrote, “Bro thinks he’s Theo Von,” and “The true early attendee is still Theo Von.”
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Others argued, “Bro is not Theo Von,” and “That’s not Theo Von.” It was all in good fun, but the running gag formed a funny picture of Zuckerberg accidentally moving into the same cult-favorite territory as Theo Von by being the rare celebrity who actually watches every fight. But of course, no mention of Zuckerberg at a UFC event could escape Elon Musk‘s towering shadow.
The long-awaited cage bout between the two tech titans may never have happened, but the memory of that summer in 2023, when Dana White even proposed staging it at the Colosseum, remains fresh in fans’ minds. “He is looking for the Elon Musk fight 😂,” one fan joked. Others added, “Where is the Elon bout?” and “Man’s still looking for Musk.”
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The excitement that previously surrounded that fantasy fight resurfaces whenever either of the billionaires does anything remotely related to combat sports. However, seeing Mark Zuckerberg being involved in all things MMA is not a rare sight anymore. For many, his early appearance was further proof that he had become a true MMA enthusiast. “BJJ changed Zuck for the better,” one fan said, while another said, “The man’s a real MMA fan!”
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Comments flooded in, complimenting his transition from Silicon Valley coder to combat sports enthusiast. “Atta boy, Zuck,” one tweet read, while another added, “Say what you want about the guy, Zuck is a fan.” It’s a far cry from the image of the quiet tech billionaire he once was, as now he’s rolling on mats, competing in jiu-jitsu tournaments, and arriving early for prelims.
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