PFL Fighter Khai Wu Calls Training Partner Mark Zuckerberg a ‘Student of the Game’

Professional Fighters League talent Khai Wu has firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to train alongside Meta Platforms founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg, who generated headlines for his interest in an MMA fight against fellow mogul Elon Musk, crossed paths with Wu when he went to train at Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu in Pleasanton, California. While Zuckerberg won’t be reaching the pinnacle of the sport anytime soon, Wu believes it’s important to put his training into the proper perspective.

“People are going, ‘Well, how good is he?’ It’s like if you compare him to a UFC Fighter or PFL fighter, like what are you categorizing them as? But someone as successful as him at his age getting into martial arts, it’s like, man, he takes it very seriously,” Wu said during a PFL media day. “It’s not a gimmick. It’s not like an act where he’s doing this for fun and then you don’t expect to see him in the next couple weeks. No, he’s been doing it for a while.”

Zuckerberg recently suffered a torn ACL while training for what he characterized as his first “competitive MMA fight.” Regardless of if or when that comes to fruition, Wu considers the billionaire to be a martial artist.

“He’s really disciplined and I’m not kidding when I say this, (he’s) like a student of the game,” Wu said. “He asks questions. You know, people want to say he’s not a real fighter, he’s not fought. If you want to get technical, he’s a martial artist because he trains a lot and this is his coffee in the mornings. He likes to train.”

Wu will make his PFL debut at the league’s championship event on Friday against Phil Caracappa in a bantamweight bout on the preliminary card, which airs on ESPN+ beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. .

“I didn’t expect to be on such a huge card right off the bat, but honestly it feels like all the hard work through the years is finally paying off,” he said. “So I’m really excited.

“I’m getting a really tough guy with some more fights than me, more experienced, bigger, faster stronger. But you know, I like to think that I rise to the occasion, and I think there might be some underestimation on my opponent’s part, so maybe I capitalize and look for a finish.”