Mark Zuckerberg 'Insisted' Executives Join Him For a MMA Training Session, According to Meta's Ex-President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg, Meta's former president of global affairs, says in a new book that he once had to get on the mat with a coworker.
By Erin Davis
Key Takeaways
- A new book by a former Meta executive claims some employees had to participate in a "too close for comfort" MMA training session at CEO Mark Zuckerberg's request.
- Zuckerberg has been practicing combat sports for years and can be seen ringside at many MMA events.
- Meta investors have been warned in official filings that Zuckerberg and other members of management participate in "various high-risk activities."
Mark Zuckerberg loves MMA so much that he's rented out entire arenas, sparred on a barge, had major surgery to fix a fighting injury, won medals, and built a "backyard" octagon at his Ko'olau Ranch compound in Hawaii. And according to a new book by the former president of global affairs at Meta, Zuckerberg even asked some company leaders to get on the mat.
"Mark's commitment to MMA is so strong that he insisted one morning, during a management offsite, that some of his most senior executives join him for a training session," wrote Nick Clegg in his soon-to-be-released book, How to Save the Internet (Penguin; November 11, 2025).
Fast Company reports that, in the book, Clegg details one particularly uncomfortable-sounding scene, when he is being straddled on the mat by a colleague in a "Domination Mount" maneuver.
Clegg wrote it was "too close for comfort," the outlet notes.
Meta investors have been warned in official filings that Zuckerberg and other members of management participate "in various high-risk activities, such as combat sports, extreme sports, and recreational aviation, which carry the risk of serious injury and death."
The book also looks at the future of AI and how social media has changed the world, but as Semafor reports, if you're looking for a tell-all about the inner workings of Meta, this is not it.
Related: 'I Love This Sport': Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Enters Into 'Massive Partnership' With UFC
