Colosseum fee $150 million halts Musk-Zuckerberg talks

A proposed celebrity mixed martial arts bout between tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg collapsed primarily due to an exorbitant $150 million venue fee demanded by Rome's Colosseum, according to UFC President Dana White. White disclosed the financial roadblock following a UFC event on June 20, 2026, stating that while negotiations for the spectacle were genuine and advanced in 2023, the cost requested by the historic Italian site made it impossible.

White explained that he spent two weeks intensely negotiating the fight between the Meta and SpaceX CEOs. The Colosseum's management sought approximately $150 million, which was intended to fund the restoration of iconic historical sites across Italy. While both Musk and Zuckerberg were reportedly prepared to personally finance the fee, the staggering sum ultimately halted the project. White emphasized that the venue itself was the decisive factor, quipping that anyone willing to put up the money for a UFC event at the Colosseum would have his full cooperation.

The rivalry that sparked the fight talk began in June 2023, just before Meta launched Threads, its competitor to Musk's social media platform X. Musk publicly...