UFC President Dana White is extending an open invitation to tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg and other celebrity grapplers to step onto the mats in the newly launched UFC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu organization.
During a recent interview, White made it clear that his new BJJ promotion isn’t just for athletes. The UFC chief specifically called out several high-profile names who have been making waves in the jiu-jitsu community.
“[Mark] Zuckerberg has competed in tournaments. Mario Lopez competes in tournaments. Tom Hardy competes in tournaments. So, this is a spot anybody could come and compete here in jujitsu,” White explained.
This is an interesting talking point considering UFC BJJ Exec Claudia Gadelha previously made comments as to UFC BJJ is meant to professionalize the sport and distance it from ‘circus’.
Zuckerberg has trained with some of the biggest names in BJJ and MMA, including former champions Alex Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya as well as Craig Jones, Mikey Musumeci and Marcelo Garcia. His dedication to the sport reached a milestone in mid-2023 when he competed in a local tournament.
White, who serves on Meta’s board, revealed that he frequently discusses the sport with Zuckerberg.
“If Mark keeps training and competing and whatever, he could literally come here and compete in UFC BJJ, 100%. Tom Hardy, Mario Lopez, and many, many other actors that are really good jiu-jitsu guys that nobody knows about. That would be absolutely awesome!” White said enthusiastically.
However, White was quick to temper expectations for the immediate future. UFC BJJ is meant to showcase talent that would challenge even the most dedicated celebrity practitioners.
“Jiu-jitsu is really what got me into this sport,” White shared, explaining his “three-year journey” to establish the organization.
He identified a key opportunity in the BJJ landscape, noting that while the sport has a global following with lucrative tournaments, it remains “very fragmented, so the mainstream people don’t know who these guys are.”
White’s expansion into BJJ comes at a strategic time as the UFC navigates major broadcast rights negotiations. The organization is reportedly seeking approximately $1 billion annually for its new media deals, with multiple streaming platforms and networks expressing interest, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Just this past weekend White confirmed that the media rights are likely to be split between several platforms. What does this mean? Effectively White confirmed that means twice as many episodes of Dana White’s contender series (another sign of them needing more content).
Netflix is the front runner to land at least part of the UFC’s broadcast deal package after the streamer entered into business with WWE on a massive 10-year, $5 billion deal.
