When Elon Musk's purchase of X [Twitter] had UFC middleweight over the moon: "I'VE NEVER FELT SO FREE HERE"
In 2022, Elon Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion, rebranding it as X. The purchase drew a wide range of reactions from the combat sports world. Few, however, were as excited as UFC middleweight Paulo Costa, who has become a fixture in the MMA social media scene.
The Brazilian bruiser took to X/Twitter at the time, where he expressed his glee over Musk's acquisition of the social media platform. Given that Costa is known for his unhinged and unfiltered content on all of his accounts, his excitement related to Musk's championing of free speech.
"I'VE NEVER FELT SO FREE HERE... NOW I CAN SAY WITHOUT FEAR THAT MAN HAS A P*NIS AND WOMAN HAS A V*GINA. THANK YOU"
Costa has become well-known for sharing some crude content on social media, at least as far as MMA fighters are concerned. He has even caught flack for it from his fellow Brazilian fighters, namely former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira.
Musk's acquisition of X/Twitter was celebrated by other fighters as well, with online rhetoric characterizing him as a paragon of free speech. This was given the most visibility by UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who was more than encouraging of Musk when it came to his purchase of the social media app.
As several UFC fighters, both current and former, have faced account suspensions on X/Twitter prior to Musk's acquisition of it, it comes as no surprise that many praised him for seizing the app. Now, two years later, the platform has far laxer rules and regulations regarding its content.
Elon Musk was recently encouraged to purchase MSNBC
X/Twitter isn't the only platform on which news and content are shared that has caught Elon Musk's attention. The SpaceX CEO was recently nudged toward acquiring MSNBC by Donald Trump Jr., which inevitably drew Joe Rogan's attention, who chimed in with his own opinion and more.
"If you buy MSNBC I would like Rachael [Rachel] Maddow's job. I will wear the same outfit and glasses, and I will tell the same lies."
Despite Musk's hinted interest in acquiring MSNBC, he has said and done little else besides showing a brief flicker of intrigue.