Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg loves blended martial arts (MMA) whether or not he is watching ringside or really in the ring himself. He built an octagon at his Hawaiian compound. He is sparred on a barge and even had surgery to repair some fighting-related accidents. Dana White, CEO of the MMA promotion firm, UFC, sits on Meta’s board.
Now, Zuckerberg’s firm and the UFC are coming into right into a “huge partnership,” White announced Wednesday on Instagram. The phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed.
“I like this sport and I am wanting ahead to working with the UFC to let followers expertise it in new methods,” Zuckerberg stated, in a statement.
Meta will grow to be the “official fan know-how associate” of UFC, White stated on Instagram. Threads, Meta’s X-like app, will grow to be the “official social media associate” of the UFC.
Meta’s full suite of merchandise can be built-in into UFC programming, together with different social media and messaging platforms WhatsApp, Instagram, and Fb, plus merchandise like Meta Glasses, Meta Quest, and Meta AI.
“I’ve had a number of nice companions through the years which have helped us develop this sport, however Mark and his crew at Meta are going to do issues that can blow away UFC followers,” White stated, within the assertion.
White additionally famous that his crew has “already began” working with Meta on a “new fighter rating system.”
“The subsequent few years can be an absolute sport changer for followers of this sport,” White added.
For Zuckerberg, taking part within the sport has its downsides (in addition to harm). Final yr, Meta named its founder’s love of fight sports activities a risk factor for the corporate.
“We presently depend upon the continued providers and efficiency of our key personnel, together with Mark Zuckerberg,” the corporate stated in a corporate filing. “Mr. Zuckerberg and sure different members of administration take part in numerous high-risk actions, similar to fight sports activities, excessive sports activities, and leisure aviation, which carry the danger of significant harm and loss of life. If Mr. Zuckerberg have been to grow to be unavailable for any cause, there may very well be a fabric adversarial affect on our operations.”
