"The guy got caught. He didn't come clean, Dana" - Aljamain Sterling curious about Dana White praising T.J. Dillashaw for handling EPO scandal "like a man"
Dana White recently commended T.J. Dillashaw on his return from suspension. Dillashaw's next opponent, Aljamain Sterling, is bewildered by the UFC president's comments.
Sterling is set to defend his bantamweight belt for a second time at UFC 280 against Dillashaw. The former champion has only fought once in three years owing to his suspension after testing positive for EPO.
Sterling gave his thoughts on White's comments about Dillashaw at the recent UFC 280 media day. He expressed his disagreement with the comments and said:
"Very strange, man. Dana's an interesting cat, man. I like Dana a lot, but some of the things that I just have to wonder, his reasoning and rationale. Like, you're praising a guy who got caught and saying that he did it the right way and did it like a man. What about that was manly? The guy got caught. He didn't come clean, Dana. I don't get it and I think it's a very odd thing to say. What makes this situation more like a man versus anybody else?"
Watch Aljamain Sterling's full comments below (via MMA Fighting on YouTube):
Dana White's questionable comments came in an interview with Robbie Fox, where he said:
"I think he made a mistake, and he handled it like a man. We’ve had a lot of guys in the history of this company who have been busted for steroids and handled it the exact opposite way. They handled it not like men. Dillashaw did. He took it on the chin. You’ve got to respect him for that."
Watch Dana White's full interview on My Mom's Basement with Robbie Fox below:
T.J. Dillashaw reacts to Dana White's comments
T.J. Dillashaw had his say on Dana White's comments about how he handled his suspension. During a UFC 280 media day interview, he reiterated that he handled the situation the best way he could.
Dillashaw also spoke about his transparency being therapeutic and his disregard for people's criticism towards him:
"I mean, I knew I did... That's the only way to kind of do it. It was like my own therapy session, to be honest. Just kind of like let everything off my chest and get it behind me. But yeah, I think I've gotten more ridiculed for it because I was so open about it but who gives a sh*t what everyone else thinks."
Dillashaw is looking to become the bantamweight champion for a third time at UFC 280 and a win would certainly help silence all the detractors.
Watch T.J. Dillashaw's full interview below: