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Aljamain Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw are set to clash at UFC 280 later this year, but the trash talk has already started.
Sterling is clearly not a fan of Dillashaw's 'cheating' history and took aim at the former UFC champion ahead of their bout.
While speaking to the UFC, 'Funk Master' commented on all of the current bantamweight contenders. He made his feelings known about Dillashaw's 'cheating' while competing in professional MMA:
"The new CEO of EPO is TJ Dillaroids. He’s a tough dude but I don’t think he’s done anything in his career fairly. I really do think he’s cheated for all his career…I’m expecting him to come in there doing what he needs to do to win, which is cheat. I plan on just being the better man that night."
Watch the full interview here:
Alongside criticism of T.J. Dillashaw's previous 'cheating' antics, Aljamain Sterling stated that he expected the American to cheat at UFC 280. Sterling didn't elaborate anymore about how Dillashaw might cheat, but he is seemingly more focused on his responsibilities in the cage.
Dillashaw was previously suspended for 2 years by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, but has only tested positive once. This has since tainted his impressive UFC career, however, the 36-year-old has continued to compete and will take on Sterling later this year.
Why was Aljamain Sterling vs. T.J. Dillashaw moved?
Aljamain Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw were originally meant to meet each other at UFC 279, but the organization opted to change the date. The highly-anticipated fight was moved to UFC 280. UFC 279 took place on September 11th and was chaotic due to many last-minute changes on the fight card.
Khamzat Chimaev was initially meant to headline the UFC 279 card alongside Nate Diaz. However, the Sweden-based fighter failed to make weight and ended up being demoted from the main event. Tony Ferguson stepped up to the plate and took Chimaev's spot, with the Russian-born fighter facing Kevin Holland in the co-main event.
T.J. Dillashaw and Aljamain Sterling may have dodged a bullet given the chaotic nature of UFC 279. The bout will now take place at UFC 280, which is currently headlined by Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira. 'Funk Master' and the former UFC champion will be the co-main event for the pay-per-view card, which will take place in Abu Dhabi next month.
