Mark Zuckerberg tears ACL during MMA training

It’ll be all clicks and no leg kicks for a bit.

Mark Zuckerberg suffered a torn ACL while training for an upcoming mixed martial arts competition, revealing Friday he’s undergone surgery and is on the road to recovery.

“Tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery to replace it,” the Meta CEO shared on Instagram, along with a slew of photos from his hospital bed. “Grateful for the doctors and team taking care of me. I was training for a competitive MMA fight early next year, but now that’s delayed a bit.

In the photos, Zuckerberg, 39, is seen with his left leg bandaged and in a supportive leg brace.

“Still looking forward to doing it after I recover. Thanks to everyone for the love and support.”

The father of Facebook also shared a picture of his wife, Priscilla Chan, wiping his forehead and putting on a pair of slides to the foot on his injured leg.

Zuckerberg started training in Brazilian jiujitsu (BJJ) just a few years ago during the coronavirus pandemic, but his late start to the sport is no side workout to stay in shape.

The social network mogul declared that he had to be willing “to get beaten up a lot” and that BJJ comes with a learning curve when he first started training.

“Part of learning is failing,” he told podcast host Lex Fridman in June. “People who train jiujitsu — you need to not have pride.”

Zuckerberg seems to be in high spirits as he embarks on his road to recovery.
zuck/Instagram
Zuckerberg training with PFL MMA fighter Khai Wu.
Instagram/Mark Zuckerberg

In June, fellow tech giant Elon Musk, 51, challenged Zuckerberg to a “cage match” after Zuckerberg’s Meta-owned Instagram reported plans to build a text-based social media platform “Threads” to rival Twitter.

The billionaire beatdown was rumored to be held at the historic Roman Colosseum but was ruled out by the Italian government. 

Since then, the murmurs of any potential fight between the tech entrepreneurs have not regenerated.

Zuckerberg after earning his blue belt in BJJ under coach and 5th degree black belt Dave Camarillo.
Mark Zuckerberg
The social media tycoon is looking at a minimum of six months of recovery before he’s back to full strength.
Instagram/Mark Zuckerberg

But, since starting his path in the MMA world, Zuckerberg won gold and silver medals in the white belt division at a tournament in Redwood City, California, in May.

An ACL tear is a common injury among athletes and happens when the tissue (anterior cruciate ligament) that connects the thighbone to the shinbone at the knee is ripped.

The recovery time post-surgery for an ACL tear is usually between six to nine months.

Though he may be staying off the mats for a bit, UFC greats have reached out to Zuckerberg since he broke the news about his injury.

“We got this,” current UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones commented on the Instagram post.

“Speedy recovery Mark!” former UFC Flyweight Champion and Bantamweight Champion Henry Cejudo wrote.