Elon Musk Responded to a UFC Fighter’s Callout With a Free Loaner Tesla
Tesla’s business model of having its customers custom order their cars and waiting months for them to get built is welcomed by many. After all, there’s nothing like the feeling of taking delivery of a brand new car that no one else has ever sat in, especially if it’s a Tesla. But one UFC fighter had enough of the wait and decided to call out Elon Musk after his fight last weekend.
The UFC fighter waited for six months for his Tesla
While it’s not uncommon to have to wait a few months for a new Tesla to be built, we can understand why UFC Lightweight Beneil Dariush was livid about waiting for six months. Dariush ordered his Tesla back in 2020 for his pregnant wife and had yet to receive the vehicle.
We’re not sure which Tesla model he ordered, but the automaker has sure been taking its time on it. But instead of writing an angry letter to the Tesla founder, Dariush decided to call out Musk during his post-fight interview.
“The week before the fight, right before I was about to leave, some guys asked, ‘Hey, when is your Tesla coming?’ And I said, ‘Man, I don’t know,'” Dariush told ESPN. “I said, jokingly, that I would just call Elon out after my fight. They said it was a great idea, and we laughed. It was just a joke.”
“But as I got closer to the fight, I said, ‘You know what? I’m actually gonna call him out.’ It’s been frustrating. I’ve been waiting for months.”
Dariush stayed true to his word. After defeating Tony Ferguson via decision, the UFC lightweight gave his appreciation and proceeded to callout Musk:
“Elon Musk! Where is my wife’s car bro?! I’ve been waiting six months. I’m having a baby! I need a good car! I gotta protect my daughter. Let’s go, Elon! Get me my car!”
It was a bold and unique idea, but fortunately, Musk responded.
Elon Musk responded to the callout in a customer-oriented way
After the fight and the callout last Saturday, Dariush said that he awoke on Sunday to a barrage of messages from multiple Tesla dealerships asking for callbacks. He initially intended to not call any of them back, thinking that it was a joke.
“I’m like, ‘I think I’m getting scammed,'” Dariush told ESPN. “I didn’t overthink it. I just ignored it. Then, I hear about how Elon replied to my callout. I said, ‘Oh my gosh, these people might be real.’ We called them back and they said to just come in and they’d get it all fixed up. I was like, ‘That’s it? Just come in? I’ve been calling you guys for months.'”
Tesla then informed Dariush that his new Tesla vehicle has already been built, but it doesn’t have a delivery date yet. To make amends, Musk loaned Dariush free loaner Tesla to tide him over while he waits for his new car.
It’s not exactly a free Tesla, but it will do
Dariush’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, even posted a picture on Twitter about it earlier this week.
By the looks of it, it seems that Dariush is now a satisfied Tesla customer and it’s great that he’ll be able to transport his newborn daughter in a safe electric car. It’s too bad he’ll still have to wait for his own car to be delivered, but at least Musk made up for in a good way.