‘A boy's idea of what it means to be a man'
The tech guys are fighting. Literally. — NYT
WHEN Meta billionaire CEO Mark Zuckerberg was challenged by fellow billionaire Elon Musk to a televised cage match in 2023, his longtime corporate rival immediately suggested his ideal venue: the Roman Colosseum.
The fight never took place but ancient ancient Rome is, in some ways, a useful reference point for this era of ultrarich braggadocio.
The wealthiest Romans were fascinated with violent combat. The Emperor Commodus even joined in the gladiatorial contests, claiming he had fought as many as 1,000 times.
By the early 20th century, fighting was still a popular pastime for the elites: An avid boxer in his Harvard years, Teddy Roosevelt regularly sparred at the White House.
These days, the rise of mixed martial arts that both Zuckerberg and Musk swear to is part of a cultural revanchism that has thrived in the so-called manosphere, where hypermasculine online commentators complain that women have become too powerful in the workplace.
In this corner of the internet, men are seeking to reclaim a kind of aggressive masculinity that came under scrutiny during the #MeToo era.
It's the latest iteration of a phenomenon that feminist writer Susan Faludi described in her 1991 book Backlash about how men have historically reacted to advances in women's rights.
In an interview last month, Faludi said the growing male obsession with fighting amounted to 'a boy's idea of what it means to be a man.'
'Living out this childhood fantasy of being pro athletes, that's just puerile,' she said.
'These guys need to discover yoga.'
The urge to fight has recently spilled over from the tech billionaire class to the industry's trenches, where mere decamillionaires and millionaires now practice martial arts in increasing numbers. Zuckerberg's transformation offered a 'beacon of hope' for other executives, fellow tech bro Andrew Batey said. 'Dreamers can latch onto something like this and say, 'Maybe it's possible.''
Until lately, though, a run-of-the-mill tech founder hoping to flex his muscles on TV would have had limited options. Then a company called Karate Combat glimpsed a market opportunity.
Karate Combat's primary business is professional fighting – mixed martial arts contests featuring seasoned athletes, some of whom also fight in UFC. (A representative for Karate Combat declined to reveal how much money the league generates.)
Last year, the company created a new competition for amateurs and started offering it as the undercard at pro events, which are sometimes held at crypto conferences.
The competition was called Influencer Fight Club, and its premise was simple: Put a couple of tech guys in the ring and see what happens.
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