Meta has disputed claims that its CEO Mark Zuckerberg was knocked out in a Jiu-Jitsu bout last month after a referee ended the fight early and gave his opponent the win.
The billionaire Facebook founder wowed martial arts fans and showed off his skills at his first-ever Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament in Redwood City, California on May 6.
He proved he had some serious wrestling skills by winning gold and silver medals, but Zuckerberg got frustrated in a fight after being pinned down and the referee ended the match early.
The manager later said he intervened because he started snoring, a sign he was unconscious.
But Meta, Zuckerberg and his trainer came out to deny this and claim he was just grumbling.
Meta has dispelled claims that its CEO Mark Zuckerberg was knocked out in a Jiu-Jitsu bout last month after a referee ended the bout early and gave his opponent the win.
Zuckerberg won gold and silver medals in his first-ever Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament in California on May 6, but was frustrated in a fight after being pinned down.
The referee says he ended the fight early because he heard Zuckerberg (pictured) snore, but Meta, Zuckerberg and his trainer deny this and claim he was just groaning
A clip of him struggling on the floor and trying to free himself from an opponent who pinned him to the mat has gone viral.
They struggled for over a minute before Zuckerberg was locked in a submission, but the referee called the game and gave his opponent the win.
And the official said he stopped the fight because he heard the tech CEO snore and thought he passed out during the choke.
The video shows Zuckerberg standing with his chest exposed, looking exasperated by the referee and his opponent.
“It’s something we’re trained to know,” said referee Costa da Silva, a veteran fighter. The New York Times.
But Zuckerberg and his trainer Dave Camarillo told the publication he had not passed out and the referee mistook his grunts for snoring.
“That never happened,” Zuckerberg wrote in an email.
And Meta echoed that in a statement on Saturday and told the daily beast: ‘At no time during the competition was Mark knocked out. It never happened.
A company spokesperson claimed the referee “apologized to Mark and his coach after the match for prematurely announcing the match”.
After the fight, Zuckerberg hugged his opponent and shook his hands affectionately after a short, tense discussion with the referee.
The world-renowned tech giant proved he has some serious abilities in his first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition by winning gold and silver medals.
Medals were awarded for the Gi and No-Gi disciplines.
After the final result of the fight was announced, Zuckerberg hugged his opponent and tied his hands affectionately.
Zuckerberg performed very well in his first-ever Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament (pictured) after becoming interested in the sport during the pandemic
The world famous tech giant has won medals in the Gi (pictured) and No-Gi disciplines
The Gi is the baggy uniform of heavy fabric tied with a sash that is often worn by competitors.
It was revealed in September last year that Zuckerberg had taken up mixed martial arts (MMA), with his trainer describing him as a “silent killer” in the ring.
He proudly shared photos from the tournament on his official Instagram account but did not disclose the name of the competition.
“I participated in my first Jiu-Jitsu tournament and won medals for the Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu team,” Zuckerberg wrote. ‘Thanks to @davecamarillo @khaiwu @intense0ne for training me!’
He was referring to Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu founder Camarillo, martial artist Khai ‘The Shadow’ Wu and Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu owner Pleasanton James Terry.
Zuckerberg told Joe Rogan in 2022 that he had taken a great interest in mixed martial arts during the Covid-19 pandemic and had since trained in the different aspects of the combat sport.
“I really like watching the UFC for example, but I also like playing sports,” Zuckerberg said on the podcast.
‘There’s something so primitive about it, I don’t know… I’ve since just introduced it to a group of my friends. We train together, and we like to wrestle together, and there’s a certain intensity that I like.
The Meta boss has also been seen sitting ringside at UFC events and appears to have developed a friendship with UFC boss Dana White.
In 2022, Zuckerberg posted footage of himself training with Khai ‘The Shadow’ Wu ahead of the fighter’s UFC debut.
The video, which garnered hundreds of thousands of likes, quickly went viral and drew comments from many big names in the fight world.
‘It’s good!’ Rogan commented. ‘I’m so happy to see this. The formation looks solid too!’
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner Bernardo Faria said: ‘Amazing!!! Half guard, arm guard, triangle! Super cool!’
“It’s drugs,” wrote Gilbert Burns, UFC grappler and three-time world Jiu-Jitsu champion.
Zuckerberg explained that working out is “really important” to him and helps maintain his “energy level and focus”.
Zuckerberg has spent time training in different aspects of mixed martial arts and has previously been praised for his abilities by Joe Rogan and Conor McGregor.
The billionaire has received praise from members of the fighting community around the world
“It’s because I have a connection to it,” he said.
“Since COVID I’ve gotten super into surfing and foiling and then really into MMA. I know a lot of people who do that.
“MMA is like the perfect thing because it’s like if you stop paying attention for a second, you’ll end up on the bottom.”
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has become hugely popular with celebrities in recent years, with the likes of Tom Hardy, Russell Brand, Henry Cavill and Guy Ritchie posting about their interest in the sport.
Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling system that integrates the Olympic sport of Judo with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Founder Camarillo is a black belt in judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, though he walked away from Ralph’s academy to train his own style of grappling which he dubbed Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu.
Camarillo is now a household name as a trainer after several of his students became big stars in the MMA world, names including Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick and Cain Velazquez.
