"Why would I ever blame the victim?" - Aljamain Sterling on being accused of victim blaming in support of Andrew Tate

Aljamain Sterling has come under some scrutiny this week after he was pictured meeting up with Andrew Tate in Abu Dhabi. Sterling was slammed after he appeared to defend Tate on Twitter when fans began criticizing the controversial figure for his past comments on various issues.

One fan highlighted that 'Cobra' had allegedly said that women were to blame for being raped if they dressed a certain way. 'Funk Master' agreed with the individual, stating that it was "100% correct" to say that victim blaming is wrong.

"100% correct. Also said was, with all the mental health issues, and predators out there, why walk home by yourself at odd hours of the night, in sketchy places? That was the responsibilty he mentioned for making safe decisions, which makes sense, although doesn't justify rape."

However, multiple fans have since called out the champion for his suggestion that Tate's theory somewhat 'makes sense', or that women should bear some "responsibility" for sexual assault.

Sterling, though, believes that his comments have been misunderstood. The bantamweight champion attempted to clarify his comments during UFC 280 media day:

"Why would I ever blame the victim? No, it's the person who's not taking the time to understand. So the clarity on that is I never victim blamed anybody."

Watch the video below:

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Aljamain Sterling predicts an early finish at UFC 280

Aljamain Sterling is set for his second title defense against T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280 this weekend. The fight will be the co-main event and will be the first of two title fights on the night.

'Funk Master' has risen to the top of the division by employing a wrestling-based game plan. Dillashaw, however, is a former Division 1 collegiate wrestler. Sterling, meanwhile, is a former Division 3 wrestler in college, and some fans and pundits feel that the challenger will be able to nullify the champion's grappling.

Dillashaw is also an incredibly skilled striker. With that, many predict that the former two-time titleholder will be crowned champion once agin due to his well-rounded skill set and potential ability to keep the fight standing.

Sterling, though, sees things differently.

While speaking to Sky Sports ahead of his fight, the champ predicted an early finish:

"I can't wait to go out there and just show what D3 wrestling is about. 'Cause it's not like he was a national champion. I like to think this is gonna be a super competitive fight. But with that being said, I think I finish him in one."

Watch Aljamain Sterling's comments in the video below:

Aljamain Sterling will look to prove Dillashaw wrong about his wrestling skills when the pair face off at UFC 280. 'Funk Master' proved many people wrong when he defeated Petr Yan is his last fight, so Sterling will hope to damage his detractors' claims again.