Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@zuck/@alexvolkanovski
Topics: MMA, UFC, Alexander Volkanoski, Australia
Max Sherry
Topics: MMA, UFC, Alexander Volkanoski, Australia
Now this, right here, is pretty damn cool.
UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski squared off against none other than Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
But the duo didn't just have a sparring session in a manky old MMA gym.
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No, instead they locked horns in the Metaverse.
Ahead of his lightweight title bout at UFC 284, Aussie fan favourite Volkanovski teamed up with Zuckerberg to do a collaboration post on Instagram.
The caption read: "Last year UFC #1 pound-for-pound fighter Alex Volkanovski stopped by Meta HQ to train with me and for fun we tested the limits of our performance avatars with motion capture in our Engage gear. Good luck this weekend Alex!"
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And the video clip itself is perhaps one of the most revolutionary things to happen in recent years.
We've all probably heard whispers about this parallel world they're calling the Metaverse, but now we've actually got to see it for our own two eyes.
In the footage, Volkanovski and Zuckerberg are seen wearing those ping pong ball-like suits that are usually used for computer generated images in Hollywood movies.
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With cameras attached to their heads, they then transform into their animated 'avatars' before being catapulted from the film studio into the Metaverse.
"What do you think of my gym?" Zuckerberg asks as the two are standing in some sort of cartoon coliseum with a giant tree behind them.
The pair then touch gloves are begin sparring.
In all fairness to him, Zuckerberg doesn't seem too uncorrdinated and is somewhat keeping pace with MMA legend Volkanovski – must be all those MMA sessions coming in handy.
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The billionaire business mogul even attempts a couple of cheeky roundhouse kicks, garnering praise from his opponent.
Bizarrely, the arena then slowly changes and morphs into a red-coloured mountain while the hit classic 'Down Under' by Men At Work plays in the background.
When prompted by the Facebook founder to go a bit harder, Volkanovski wasted no time in shooting for a double-leg takedown, dropping Zuckerberg on his head as the two chuckled.
Overall, it's an amazing video and just goes to show how rapid technology is moving in 2023.
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Fans in the comments section on Instagram were equally as impressed.
Gilbert Burns said: "That’s so dope!! Wow."
While Chito Vera added: "That’s crazy!!"
As Tyson Pedro joked: "@alexvolkanovski grew a bit taller in the meta."
Even the UFC's official account chimed in, saying: "Metaverse has a new P4P #1."