I was Andrew Tate’s kickboxing pal – now he’s gone down a dark path | The Sun

ANDREW Tate's former kickboxing sponsor has revealed how the influencer wanted to be famous and was obsessed with getting rich.

Daniel Knight started his company Sidekick Boxing in 2010 and began working with Tate within years as he forged a career in the sport.

The dad said Tate was "money mad", with his "main goal in life" to make cash.

But he said the kickboxer then went down a "dark road" as he built his online empire.

Daniel told The Sun: "I think he realised to create more fame, he should be more controversial online."

He and Tate would strike deals on promotions and he would pay the fighter up to £1,000 a month.

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And the pair soon became "close friends".

Tate would often try to be "controversial" – but Daniel said he believes the fighter realised he could use this to get"the attention he wanted".

Daniel added: "As a fighter, a lot of people didn't really like him.

"He knew a way of rubbing people up the wrong way and it gave him the attention he wanted.

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"And I think he was clever enough to use that. I think he then just went from bad to worse with his online views."

Tate became known in the sporting world, but it wasn't until he entered the Big Brother house in 2016 that he came to public attention.

But after being kicked off the reality show over a clip that showed him hitting a woman with a belt, Tate claims to have made millions spreading hateful misogynistic views on social media.

He has previously been banned from Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for his hate-filled diatribes.

Tate, 36, has been holed up in a Romanian jail with his brother Tristan for more than seven weeks.

They were detained on December 29 as part of a probe into human trafficking, rape, and organised crime.

Tate and his brother Tristan, 34, are accused of luring women back to their Romanian villa.

Misogynist influencer Tate built up a sickening image that appealed to teenage boys – creating an online empire that made him one of the most searched people on Google.

Masquerading as lifestyle advice, much of the content is actually highly sexist and promotes violence against women.

But Daniel believes Tate plays up his controversial views to bring in cash – and he may not even believe it.

He said: "I think to make a load of money he played a character to annoy people."

Daniel said he never thought, however, Tate would become so famous.

He said: "I didn’t think it would blow up into what it is now. It’s quite surreal really.

"He wanted to become a rich man, and he's achieved that.

"I don't think he realised he'd be this influential.

"It seems like he sort of threw himself under the bus, and now he’s almost got to try and talk his way out of it."

At least six were allegedly forced to perform in adult videos that were then sold online.

Despite the allegations made against him, Daniel said he won't be removing posts involving Tate as he says they have "blown up" his business.

He said: "Hand on heart, the web cam business is a dark and seedy world and I feel it's going to come with a lot of complications as such.

"A few years ago, I was going to delete a lot of our footage of Andrew because he was going down that road and I didn't want any association with it.

"But now I look at it, it's just blown up so much."

The Tate brothers remain detained.

And they have have had all their appeals for release denied as Romanian authorities consider them a flight risk.

The specific allegations relate to six women – but two of them have denied being victims.

Andrew and Tristan can held for up to 180 days should another detention extension be granted by the courts.

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His influence has had a worrying spread amongst young men and boys, with one UK MP saying he is "brainwashing" children.

The Tates deny all the allegations against them.

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