Elon Musk "isn't serious" about holding a cage fight and "it's time to move on", Mark Zuckerberg has said.
In a post on his social media site Threads, the Meta boss said he had offered Mr Musk "a real date" but the rival entrepreneur had made excuses.
Mr Musk had earlier on Sunday suggested on his own messaging site X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was willing to fight as early as Monday.
The billionaires agreed to the bout in June, sparking huge media attention.
But despite egging each other on for months, the rivals have yet to secure a date, raising doubts the fight will ever go ahead.
The war of words was complicated by the launch of Threads in July, with the rival messaging app to X attracting more than 100 million sign-ups in less than a week.
That number has fallen back, and X remains comfortably ahead with around 350 million users - but Mr Musk has threatened to sue Facebook for "unlawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade secrets".
Meta denies the claims.
Last week, Mr Zuckerberg said he had proposed 26 August for the cage fight. Then in a twist on Friday, Italy's culture minister said that he had spoken to Mr Musk about hosting the showdown in the country as a charity event.
Mr Musk suggested it would have "an ancient Rome theme".
On Sunday, however, the Meta boss posted on Threads: "Elon won't confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead.
"If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I'm going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously."
Responding on X, however, Mr Musk called the Meta boss a "chicken".
Earlier, Mr Musk had posted a text message exchange on the messaging platform purportedly between himself and Mr Zuckerberg.
This is the full message: pic.twitter.com/UzbKoIkFOc
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 13, 2023
In it he tells the Meta boss that he will be in Palo Alto, home to Meta's headquarters, on Monday and that the fight could be held in Mr Zuckerberg's Octagon, which is the eight-sided ring in which cage fights are held.
Mr Musk continued: "I have not been practicing much, apart from a brief bout with Lex Fridman [the computer scientist and podcast host] today.
"While I think it is very unlikely, l given our size difference, perhaps you are a modern-day Bruce Lee and will somehow win."
Elon Musk, 52, and Mark Zuckerberg, 39 are two of the world's most high-profile technology billionaires.
The bizarre idea to fight each other started in June, when Mr Musk tweeted that he was "up for a cage fight" with Mr Zuckerberg.
The Meta boss, who already has mixed martial arts (MMA) training and has recently won jiu-jitsu tournaments, simply responded with "send me location".
Latest Stories
-
Premier League clubs vote in favour of spending cap plans
8 mins -
Nigeria’s fuel crisis brings businesses to a halt
9 mins -
King Promise impresses fans at sold out show in Singapore
14 mins -
CSOs and NGOs unite to push for priority demands at INC-4
27 mins -
Fuel tanker bursts into flames on Kumasi-Accra highway
33 mins -
EC’s stolen BVR kits, laptops: One granted bail, three still on remand
42 mins -
2 Things: Sista Afia releases first song off her upcoming album
59 mins -
GHS to embark on COVID-19 vaccination campaign starting May 4
1 hour -
CAF Confederation Cup: I’ve learned valuable lessons that will help future generations – Karim Zito
1 hour -
Create partnership with Ghanaian businesses – K.T. Hammond tells U.S. business leaders
1 hour -
5 dead, over 14 injured in gory accident near Obuasi
2 hours -
Without my approval, no road can be constructed in Ghana – Akufo-Addo
2 hours -
Cleaner to stand trial over Cashier’s death at Twumasiwaa Hospital
2 hours -
Bawumia pledges full Ghanaian ownership of natural resources if elected president
2 hours -
Global financial institutions call for comprehensive treaty to end plastic pollution
3 hours