Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly known as Facebook), has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while training for an upcoming mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. He recently revealed that he has undergone surgery and is now on the road to recovery.

Taking to Instagram, Zuckerberg shared the news along with several photos from his hospital bed. In the post, he wrote, “Tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery to replace it. 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.” The photos show the tech mogul with his left leg bandaged and secured in a supportive leg brace.

Despite the setback, Zuckerberg expressed his determination to continue pursuing his MMA ambitions after a successful recovery. He thanked his supporters, saying, “Still looking forward to doing it after I recover. Thanks to everyone for the love and support.”

In one of the images, Zuckerberg’s wife, Priscilla Chan, can be seen wiping his forehead and assisting him in putting on a pair of slides for his injured leg.

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Zuckerberg, who is known for co-founding Facebook and heading Meta Platforms, began training in Brazilian jiujitsu (BJJ) just a few years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has previously spoken about the challenges of starting the sport at a relatively late age, emphasizing the importance of humility and learning through failure in BJJ. “Part of learning is failing,” he stated during a podcast interview in June. “People who train jiujitsu — you need to not have pride.”

Notably, in June, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, challenged Zuckerberg to a “cage match” following Meta-owned Instagram’s plans to create a text-based social media platform called “Threads” to compete with Twitter. Although the hypothetical showdown was initially rumored to be held at the Roman Colosseum, it was subsequently ruled out by the Italian government. Since then, any prospects of a fight between the tech titans have remained dormant.

Despite his relatively short journey in the world of MMA, Zuckerberg achieved success by winning 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 occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament, which connects the thighbone to the shinbone at the knee, is torn. The typical recovery time following ACL surgery is between six to nine months.

Although Zuckerberg may need to stay off the mats for some time, he has received words of encouragement and support from notable figures in the MMA community. Current UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones commented on Zuckerberg’s Instagram post, writing, “We got this.” Former UFC Flyweight Champion and Bantamweight Champion Henry Cejudo also sent his wishes for a speedy recovery, saying, “Speedy recovery Mark!”