Gary Zhou 
UFC fighter Beneil Dariush used his post-fight victory interview with Joe Rogan to draw attention to his delayed Tesla Model X order, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has come through for him. According to his agent, Musk provided Dariush with a Model Y loaner vehicle before the Model X was ready to be shipped.
Dariush, the UFC’s 9th-ranked Lightweight, defeated longtime challenger and former Interim Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson in a dominant performance on Saturday, winning a 30-27 Unanimous Decision victory on all three judge’s scorecards. After the win, Dariush went up six spots in the UFC Lightweight rankings.
Dariush used his interview with Joe Rogan to highlight the fact that he had ordered a Model X for himself and his child, who is due to deliver a newborn baby in June, after praising his opponent and claiming the biggest win of his MMA career. “I wanna call somebody out. Joe, I’m wanna call out your buddy. Elon, Elon Musk, where’s my wife’s car, bro? I’ve been waiting six months. I’ve had a baby; I need a good car. I need to–I gotta protect my daughter. Let’s go, Elon! Get me my car,” Dariush said to Rogan.
The Model X will be refreshed on Tesla’s schedule, so the delivery will be delayed. In December, Tesla stopped production lines at its Fremont plant, where the all-electric SUV is manufactured. The Model S and Model X were the models affected. Tesla and Musk were rumored to be preparing a “refresh” of the two cars, which have changed in just a few ways since their introductions in 2012 and 2015, respectively. On the Q4 2020 Earnings Call, Tesla announced its plans to refresh both vehicles.
Musk replied by apologizing and promising that the vehicles will be delivered shortly. Musk, on the other hand, went a step further and loaned Dariush a Model Y before the Model X arrived. Dariush’s agent, Ali Abdelaziz, announced on Twitter that Musk had loaned the fighter a Model Y.
“@elonmusk came through for @beneildariush with a free car until his order is ready. Elon is a gangster @ufc,” Abdelaziz said.
Based on the wheels, the car appears to be a Model Y Performance. Dariush’s loaner has the 21-inch Überturbine wheels that come standard with the Performance Model Y. We hope Dariush is prepared for the face-melting instant torque that the Model Y Performance can bring, despite the fact that he has spent hours in the Octagon against some of the best fighters in the world. Dariush could also be with the Model Y for a while, as delivery timelines for the Model X have been changed in some owner accounts, suggesting that the vehicle will be delivered in October 2021.
