Dana White’s BJJ Blitz: Zuckerberg Gets an Open Grappling Invite
Holy jitterbug of java, hold onto your coffee mugs—this is wild! Dana White just dropped the juiciest invite of the year, straight from the octagon of social media to the mats of his brand-new UFC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu league. Picture this: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, gloves off and gi on, stepping into a promotion backed by none other than the UFC boss himself. According to TMZ, and echoed by People Magazine, Dana and UFC veteran-turned-exec Claudia Gadelha pitched this madcap concept on the latest Babcock broadcast, teasing a “TUF-style” YouTube companion show called UFC BJJ: Road to the Title.
Now, can you imagine Zuck—yes, THE tech titan—locking shields with the likes of Mikey Musumeci, his own training bud, in an inaugural bantamweight face-off against Rerisson Gabriel on June 25? ESPN’s MMA wing confirms Zuckerberg started his jiu-jitsu journey during the pandemic, rolling with stars like Alex Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya, and even snagged a few wins at a local mid-2023 tourney. Dana’s absolutely game if Zuck keeps sharpening his armbar: “He could literally come here and fight in UFC BJJ, 100%,” White said, per TMZ.
But wait, the celebrity roster is bigger than a blockbuster cast: Mario Lopez and Tom Hardy are also jiu-jitsu buffs, and Dana name-checked them alongside Zuck. Lopez and Hardy have quietly competed for years, so an appearance on UFC BJJ could turn this promotion into the A-list showdown of the century. Claudia Gadelha chimed in, praising the skill set these hidden-actor-warriors bring to the mats—and deja vu much? We can almost hear Hollywood director lights flashing over rear-naked chokes.
The Road to the Title YouTube series drops fresh episodes every Monday, fuelling hype all the way to the UFC BJJ 1 fight night Wednesday specials. With heavyweight names and genuine grappling credentials, this isn’t your average red carpet—this is “roll-in” glam, folks. And trust me, this is just the opener: Dana teased endless possibilities for future celeb-competitors who actually earn their stripes.
Between the adrenaline, the star power, and White’s signature bravado, I’m practically vibrating from all this caffeinated gossip. Will Zuckerberg swap code for chokeholds? Could Hollywood’s finest trade scripts for shoulders locked behind their ears? One thing’s for sure: I could gab about this forever. Whew, I’m vibrating harder than a Brazilian jiu-jitsu back-take—talk to you soon, coffee’s kicking in again!
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ.com
People Magazine
ESPN MMA
UFC.com
Attribution: Mark Lennihan (Creative Commons)
