Aljamain Sterling has denied he was echoing Andrew Tate's controversial statements after meeting the ex-kickboxer in Dubai.
Controversial former kickboxer Tate has built up notoriety for his contentious views which have been going viral online. He was recently banned on social media having faced scrutiny from campaign groups who were concerned by his views including a suggestion that women "bear some responsibility" for sexual assault which saw him banned on Twitter.
UFC champion Sterling, who will fight at UFC 280 against Petr Yan in Abu Dhabi this weekend, posted images of himself on Twitter and Instagram with the caption: "Top G’s never die! Good chopping it up with you fellas." Sterling's fans quickly became concerned by his new alliance with Tate and came out in their droves to criticise his actions.
And Sterling has since confirmed he agreed with a fan who hit out at Tate's view on women which saw him banned. “So I quote-tweeted somebody that said what everybody else was saying that they were coming down on me for, and I was agreeing with the tweet,” Sterling told reporters when addressing his meeting with Tate.
“And I said, ‘You’re right. I 100 per cent agree with you that Andrew Tate should not ever say that it is the responsibility of a victim.’ So people that were coming at me were completely wrong, and I was trying to explain that you misread the tweet and then they would show me the same tweet, and I would say you’re not understanding what I’m saying. You’re misreading the tweet, because I’m quoting and I’m agreeing. I am on your side.
"I think people are really crazy, and I think that’s the problem with the world today We are so quick to condemn people instead of actually giving people a chance to reason and analyse what people are saying vs. assuming and just making a judgment and being completely wrong That’s just the world that we live in today. I don’t think it’s going to change anytime soon. With that said, hopefully T.J. Dillashaw moves the needle this weekend at UFC 280.”
Who wins at UFC 280 - Aljamain Sterling or TJ Dillashaw? Let us know in the comments section below
Tate rose to fame after his appearance on Big Brother was cut short after a video emerged of him appearing to hit a woman with a belt. However the woman later confirmed they were playing a sex game, and his profile continued to rise when he joined on social media and launched his Hustlers University scheme.
Despite being banned on social media, Tate has still been able to spread his views and has been linked with a number of boxing fights against social media stars including Logan Paul and KSI. However they currently look unlikely to happen with the removal of his platform having affected negotiations between the teams.
