• Elon Musk now wants a "noble" debate with Zuckerberg. 
  • Musk said on Sunday that he may need to undergo surgery before his proposed cage match versus Zuck.
  • Now it seems like Musk's ok with taking his mother Maye Musk's suggestion to "fight with words only."

It looks like Elon Musk is trying really hard to get out of his cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg. 

On Sunday, the billionaire said his fight with Zuckerberg — if it happens — would be live-streamed on his platform X, formerly known as Twitter. But the same day, Musk said he needed to get his neck and upper back examined before fixing a date. 

"May require surgery before the fight can happen. Will know this week," Musk tweeted.

And now Musk is floating the idea of having a "noble" debate with Zuckerberg instead of throwing hands. TED curator Chris Anderson proposed having a "cage match DEBATE" between the two billionaires, and Musk seemed game for it. 

"Here's a better idea: a cage match DEBATE 'How to Build an Amazing Future,'" Anderson tweeted on Tuesday.

Musk appeared to agree with the suggestion, tweeting that a debate "sounds like a good idea too."

"This is really fighting as (I believe) a noble sport," Musk replied. "We also hope, with humility, to express our admiration for those who have fought before for noble causes."

Anderson's proposed alternative is similar to what Musk's mother previously suggested he do. Maye Musk tweeted in June that her son and Zuckerberg should "fight with words only" instead of beating each other up.

"A verbal fight only. Three questions each. The funniest answers win. Who agrees?" Maye Musk tweeted on June 23. 

Musk may not have taken his mother's advice then, but he seems to be warming up to the idea now, and for a good reason. Musk's chances of beating Zuckerberg in the ring are slim, considering the latter's MMA training and jiu-jitsu medals.

Musk, too, has been realistic about his odds of winning the fight.

"If the fight is short, I probably win. If long, he may win on endurance," Musk tweeted on Sunday. 

Representatives for Musk at X did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.