Inside the Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg fight that's evolved from a joke to actual plans being drawn

Two weeks ago, Elon Musk joked that he'd be 'up for a cage match' with Mark Zuckerberg. Now, that quip could actually be turning in to a reality.

It might sound like a scene from South Park, but people across the globe really could soon be sitting down to witness Musk and Zuckerberg face each other in the ring; live, in person and without a social media platform to hide behind.

It all started after rumors emerged that Zuckerberg was working on an app to rival Twitter, which Musk purchased last year in a $44 billion deal.

Twitter/@elonmusk

Musk didn't even directly address Zuckerberg in his initial comment - he was just replying to someone who'd made him aware of the app, rumoured to be called 'Threads'.

It didn't take long for the comment to reach Zuckerberg, though, and things began to snowball when Zuckerberg accepted Musk's challenge, responding via Instagram to tell him to send him the location for their fight.

Now, they're battling to be named the king of social media.

Well, not really, but I'm sure neither of them would mind that nickname.

So, is the fight really going to happen? It's entirely possible, for a number of reasons.

First, and most importantly, both Musk and Zuckerberg are legitimately on board. Just one day after Musk declared the idea of a cage match, Zuckerberg reached out to UFC President Dana White to see if he was serious.

Instagram/@zuck

After learning that he was, the three men started making plans which involved White being on the phone to the two social media moguls until '12.45 in the morning'.

“They both want to do it," White has said.

Nothing is set in stone just yet - I'm sure we'll all know as soon as that's the case - but things have definitely developed beyond just acknowledging each others' interest in the fight.

According to The New York Times, Musk and Zuckerberg, with the help of advisers, have been engaged in negotiations and coming up with the outlines of an event.

White explained that any fight that went ahead would be an exhibition match with a charity component, preferably held in Las Vegas. If that's the case, the organisers would need approval from the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Zuckerberg already looks to have an advantage in a bout thanks to his ju-jitsu training, though it's worth noting that Musk has about 33lbs on Zuckerberg when it comes to weight. Plus, the Twitter owner has said he will start 'training' if a deal is agreed.

The differences between the pair, White implied, would only make the fight more interesting.

"We have two guys that have never professional fought, and they're in two completely different weight classes," he said.

"It will be the biggest fight in the history of combat sports."

Let's make it happen!