(Instagram @zuck)
Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Wins Gold and Silver in First Jiu-Jitsu Competition
Mark Zuckerberg’s dedication to training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu appears to have paid off in a big way after he earned medals in his first competition.
The Facebook and Meta founder reportedly began training BJJ during the coronavirus pandemic, and his confidence and skill level rose quickly enough that he recently decided to enter a tournament for the first time. Zuckerberg walked away with gold and silver medals, and in an Instagram post after the tournament he thanked several members of the Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu team.
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Last year combat sports fans were treated to a video of Zuckerberg working on his striking during a light sparring session with professional bantamweight fighter Khai Wu. Following the BJJ tournament last weekend, there’s also now footage available of him hitting the mats for one of his matches.
Zuckerberg and his opponent spent the early going of the video fighting for position on the feet before the social media mogul was able to change levels and bring things to the floor. From there Zuckerberg patiently defended a guillotine attempt from the bottom competitor, but after freeing his head he was able to start working from top position.
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With audible encouragement from his coaches, Zuckerberg fought off an armbar attempt and used the failed submission to briefly flatten his opponent out before nearly ending up in mount.
It was announced last year that Meta had partnered with the UFC to start developing ways to watch live fights in VR, but it certainly seems that Zuckerberg’s interest in MMA extends far beyond just business.
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