MMA News Roundup: Aljamain Sterling defends Andrew Tate, Leon Edwards plans on making Jorge Masvidal "beg" for title fight, UFC veteran faces devastating loss in bantamweight debut
Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup, where we present the biggest UFC updates and other stories from the world of mixed martial arts.
In today's issue, we talk about Aljamain Sterling defending Andrew Tate's comments, Leon Edwards sending a word of warning to Jorge Masvidal, and more.
#3. "I really don’t care that much" - Aljamain Sterling on Andrew Tate's reputation
Aljamain Sterling was recently seen posing with the infamous Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan in Dubai ahead of UFC 280.
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Top G’s never die! Good chopping it up with you fellas 💪🏾
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#Dubai #TopG #TateBrothers #UFC280 https://t.co/Rov8hKnthe
The former kickboxer-turned-internet sensation recently rose to newfound fame owing to his notorious takes regarding women and their rights. From vocally advocating domestic abuse to being accused of it, Tate's notorious reputation precedes him.
Naturally, Sterling's fans weren't impressed seeing their favorite fighter associating with such a personality. 'Funk Master' took a neutral stance, coming to Tate's defense but also agreeing with some of the points made by his fans. He stated that there can be both sides to the argument of whether Tate is a "bad guy" or not, and either way, he is indifferent.
Here's one of Sterling's tweets:
You know that shit is fake right? The information is literally out there or y’all can keep listening to the painted narrative that’s much easier to digest. I dug into and was relieved that they aren’t actually shit people. And no, not everything they’ve said, I agree with. twitter.com/sagemodewo1f/s…
Here's a second response:
We can go back n forth with “full” length videos to discredit this, although I agree some things tow the line until you listen in its entirety to hear the full statement. But I really don’t care that much haha.
If you want him as the bad guy, the content is there and vice versa twitter.com/brandonb1122/s…
Sterling responds a third time:
I appreciate the words. I don’t live by his moniker, but I understand some things he gets at and understand how some things are out of context in short format clips. That said, I don’t agree w/everything from all people I’ve met or spoken with nor do I have time to vet everything twitter.com/brandonb1122/s…
The recently crowned welterweight king, Leon Edwards, was also seen with Tate a couple of days ago. Interestingly, Joe Rogan is also a fan of the self-proclaimed "self-help guru."
#2. "Get on your knees and beg" - Leon Edwards to Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal is possibly realizing at the moment the true meaning of the words "what goes around comes around."
There was a time when Leon Edwards repeatedly asked for a fight with 'Gamebred' following the infamous "3 piece and a soda" backstage incident at London's O2 Arena. However, these were brushed aside for title fight with Kamaru Usman, a 'BMF' clash with Nate Diaz, and a grudge match with Colby Covington. With the welterweight belt now around his waist, the Brit currently has the upperhand and plans on taking full advantage of the same.
Now that Edwards is the champion, Masvidal seems all too keen for the fight, but 'Rocky' is having none of that. He posted the below tweet:
"Refer to me as "Mr Edwards" or "Sir" and get on your knees and beg and I may consider it"
youtu.be/_a_6etALeLYrefer to me as “Mr Edwards" or "Sir" and get on your knees and beg and I may consider it twitter.com/mmafighting/st…
The comment was in response to Masvidal's most recent call-out where he claimed that Edwards was getting "cold feet" about fighting him.
#1. UFC veteran Cub Swanson gets finished on bantamweight debut
After fighting for over a decade at featherweight, Cub Swanson moved down to bantamweight to give himself "a new challenge."
Despite a promising start, Swanson's 135-pound
debut didn't quite go according to plan, thanks to a dominant show by Jonathan Martinez.
'Dragon' almost had Swanson in the first round after dropping him with a knee to the body and following by with punches. But the veteran was saved by the bell.
Swanson's luck didn't last in the second round as a brutal leg kick by Martinez sent him buckling to the mat. It only took one follow-up shot for the referee to step in.
Here's a highlight of the fight:
This was Swanson's 22nd fight in the UFC. He debuted in 2011 with a loss against Ricardo Lamas. He has 13 UFC wins, which include a knockout win over Charles Oliveira and a decision victory over Dustin Poirier.