Michael Bisping believes Mark Zuckerberg’s presence at UFC Vegas 61 can lead to good things for the sport of MMA.
Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook and CEO of Meta Platforms, was in attendance for this past Saturday’s card at the APEX, which was closed off to the rest of the public and media.
While there were a lot of people who were scratching their heads in regards to Zuckerberg’s private fight card, Bisping was on the other side of it.
“Mark Zuckerberg was in attendance. Pretty cool to see,” Bisping said on his podcast Believe You Me.
Bisping’s co-host, and UFC light heavyweight, Anthony Smith believes that Zuckerberg being in attendance could do wonders for the UFC’s fan base — mostly considering how powerful, rich, and well-known he is, which is something the former middleweight champion concurs with.
“They’re all good points, and this isn’t meant as an insult to him and it sounds like a meathead comment, but [more fans can get into the sport because of] someone that’s as nerdy as him. He’s a tech genius. You’ve seen him, and he can be described as, quote unquote, a bit of a nerd. But to see a guy like him who does have that influence, who does that wealth, who does have that power, and I don’t know what to think about Mark Zuckerberg, he’s a f****** nerd, let’s be honest, but he’s awesome because he’s there and he’s watching the UFC.
“I believe this will open up, potentially, another realm of people because MMA is hugely and wildly popular, but there’s still skeptics, there’s critics, and there’s still people that won’t give it a shot. But seeing someone that’s clearly wildly intelligent as he is, to be an admirer of the sport, and his wife is there enjoying it, it’s only going to bring in more fans.”
Zuckerberg and his wife were cage side with UFC president Dana White, both reacting to the action that was taking place throughout the event.
It’s Bisping’s hope that Zuckerberg’s interest in the sport can help find newer fans that haven’t given the sport a chance.
“[It’s] that acceptance from a wider audience, because he’s not typically who you would think [is] the ‘just bleed’ MMA fan,” Bisping said. “My mother-in-law isn’t the typical MMA fan, but she fell in love with it straight away, and I think when people watch with an open mind, they will [too].”
