Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently wished Alexander Volkanovski good luck for his upcoming title fight at UFC 284 by sharing an interesting visual of the two men sparring in the ‘metaverse’ using virtual reality (VR) tools to help them.
Volkanovski is set to face Islam Makhachev this weekend in Perth, where the two champions will headline one of 2023’s most highly anticipated pay-per-view events. The outcome of their bout will determine who takes home the lightweight title and the bragging rights of being the pound-for-pound king.
ESPN MMA reposted a video showing the influential CEO sharing some ring time with Alexander Volkanovski while wearing motion capture suits and other VR gear. The incredible video showed the two men engaged in striking drills, with Mark Zuckerberg even attempting a flying knee.
The resulting animation streamed their body motion into an accurate animated version of themselves, fighting in an immersive virtual world.
Watch the video below:
Alexander Volkanovski on his friendship with Mark Zuckerberg
Alexander Volkanovski sparring with Mark Zuckerberg should not be surprising considering the pair share a close friendship. The Meta Platforms CEO is a dedicated fan of mixed martial arts and is known to follow the UFC closely. He was last seen at UFC Vegas 61 sitting cage-side with his partner.
Zuckerberg has even taken up jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts himself and regularly shares his training sessions on his social media handles.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour before UFC 280 last year, Alexander Volkanovski shared how he became friends with the 38-year-old tech mogul.
“We sort of got started talking after the Max Holloway fight, when he found out I broke my hand… We were just talking about mindset, and that’s sort of how it started. Then we caught up and that. He’s a top bloke… I do consider him my mate… He’s a cool dude, we get along. I’m actually catching up with him a bit later on in the year. But yeah, cool dude. He knows his stuff.”
Watch the full interview below:
Alexander Volkanovski will be entering the octagon as the betting underdog against Islam Makhachev at UFC 284. The one-of-a-kind champion vs. champion fight will headline the card with featherweights Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett facing off in the co-main event.
Elsewhere on the Australian card, Jack Della Maddalena and Randy Brown will fight in a welterweight contest. Justin Tafa will fight Parker Porter in a heavyweight battle while Jimmy Crute faces Alonzo Menifield.