UFC champ Alexander Volkanovski has VR sparring session with Mark Zuckerberg

 “Last year @ufc #1 pound-for-pound fighter @alexvolkanovski 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!”

Volkanovski is slated to fight UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev this weekend in Perth, Australia at UFC 284. The 34-year-old Australian will have home-field advantage as he attempts to move up a weight class and become a double UFC champion. 

Zuckerberg is a mixed martial arts practitioner and a fan of the UFC. Notably, the 38-year-old and his wife had a private viewing of UFC Vegas 61 at the UFC Apex last year. In October, the UFC announced a partnership with Zuckerberg’s company Meta with the goal of providing live MMA events in virtual reality to fans around the world. 

A few days later, the UFC showcased their Meta partnership at LFA 144. Meta’s VR app allowed viewers to use the Meta Quest 2 headset and experience the fights in a 180-degree capacity.