According to Russia’s TASS news agency, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, has reportedly declined an offer to train Elon Musk, the American billionaire, for his fight against Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook.

A reliable source informed the news outlet that the undefeated Dagestani Russian MMA fighter has turned down Musk’s request to train him for the bout.

At present time, the real reason for Nurmagomedov’s refusal is not known, but the source mentioned that the event was being organized by Andrey Gromkovsky, the CEO of UFC Eurasia.
Earlier, the New York Times reported that Musk and Zuckerberg were in discussions with the UFC regarding the fight. Dana White, the president of the UFC, even suggested that the proposed cage match between the two billionaires could become the most lucrative fight in history.
Although it has not been officially confirmed that Nurmagomedov declined to train Musk, several MMA promoters have voiced their support for his reported decision.
In a statement to TASS, Russian sports manager Vladimir Khryunov stated that “Khabib is a man of strong principles” and is deeply committed to the sport. Khryunov added, “I believe his decision is the right one and it commands great respect for Khabib.

Kamil Gadzhiev, the president of the promotional company Fight Nights Global, also informed the agency that Nurmagomedov’s decision was predictable given his retirement from MMA and the fact that he is not currently training anyone close to him. Gadzhiev stated, “For Khabib, there must be something of utmost importance to return to MMA. Elon Musk’s fight certainly does not fall into this category.

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, the first and tenth richest individuals in the world, have been exchanging jabs on social media for several weeks following the launch of Zuckerberg’s Threads, a rival to Musk’s Twitter (now called X).
In June, Musk challenged Zuckerberg to a “cage match,” to which Zuckerberg responded, “Send me location. Musk then tweeted, “Vegas Octagon,” referring to the renowned arena that hosts UFC fights.
While many have expressed excitement at the prospect of witnessing the two billionaires face off in the ring, the likelihood of the fight actually taking place appears to be low. Last week, Zuckerberg stated that he is uncertain if the cage match will materialize.