Is the ‘Zuckerberg Curse’ Real? Fans react as Alex Pereira loses after meeting Meta CEO

Mark Zuckerberg is making the most of his time in Las Vegas, sharing glimpses of a night filled with high-stakes poker, UFC champions, and quality time with his wife, Priscilla Chan. The Meta CEO took to Instagram to post a carousel of images, featuring UFC light heavyweight contender Alex Pereira and Australian fighter Alex Volkanovski, along with a short video capturing his poker win over Volkanovski. His post, simply captioned, “Great night seeing friends and some of my favorite fighters. Can't wait for the rematch (sic),” has since gone viral, not just for the rare Zuckerberg flex, but also for what fans are calling yet another case of the ‘Zuckerberg curse.’

In his Instagram story, Mark Zuckerberg shared a 12-second video showing players pushing their chips toward him in a poker game, tagging Alex Volkanovski with a lighthearted “sorry Volk.” The tech billionaire also posted pictures with UFC fighter Alex Pereira, who fought Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on March 9. However, what caught the internet’s attention wasn’t just the CEO’s poker skills but what happened next.

Pereira lost his light heavyweight title to Ankalaev in a five-round fight, with the judges scoring it 49-46, 48-47, 48-47 in favor of the Russian. Fans immediately linked the defeat to the so-called ‘Zuckerberg curse’—an internet joke suggesting that any fighter who poses with the Meta chief is doomed to lose their next match. Social media flooded with reactions under Zuckerberg’s photo with Pereira, with comments like “Nooooo” and fans praying for ‘Poatan’ to “break the curse.”



The superstition isn’t without precedent. In the past, other UFC stars such as Israel Adesanya, Alex Volkanovski, and Khai Wu have all suffered tough losses after being spotted with Zuckerberg. Whether it’s coincidence or a bizarre trend, the curse has gained traction among MMA fans who now jokingly warn fighters to stay away from Zuckerberg before a big match. Even though there’s no real evidence behind the curse, the pattern is hard to ignore for superstitious fans.
Also Read: UFC 313: Alex Pereira earns the title of 'The One, The Only' despite defeat against Magomed Ankalaev
As for the Meta CEO, he seems to be enjoying himself regardless—winning at poker, rubbing shoulders with UFC’s elite, and making headlines, all in a night’s work.