Elon Musk’s highly anticipated “cage match” with his tech rival, Mark Zuckerberg, is generating waves of excitement, but Italy’s Colosseum, the venue of choice for many, has been ruled out as the battleground.

Musk’s search for an “epic location” in Italy to host the showdown against Zuckerberg, has met a dead end, as Italian government officials confirmed that the historic Colosseum or any other site in Rome will not play host to the battle.

Musk’s tweet on Friday revealed that he had reached out to Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the Minister of Culture, hinting at the potential for a live-streamed event on his platform X and Meta. However, Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano countered the Colosseum speculation by stating that the event would not be held in Rome.

Sangiuliano conveyed that he had spoken to Musk about their shared passion for the history of ancient Rome, exploring the possibility of organizing a charity event that respects historic sites.

“Up for a cage fight?”

The anticipated feud was ignited when Musk tweeted about being “up for a cage fight” with Zuckerberg, who responded with a challenge to “send me location.” The challenge was relayed to Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, who reportedly contacted Italian officials to explore potential venues.

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have both been training for the face-off under the guidance of Lex Fridman, an artificial intelligence researcher at MIT with a black belt in Brazilian jujitsu. Although a specific date is yet to be set for the clash, Musk’s shoulder injury may postpone the event for a few months.

While Zuckerberg, 39, has been actively training and participating in amateur Brazilian jujitsu tournaments, Musk, 52, with his size advantage, is expected to face a formidable challenge from the experienced Zuckerberg.