Former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre has always been a loud voice against performance enhancing drugs. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, the French-Canadian fighter issues his thoughts on how PED use should affect those currently in the conversation as possible greatest fighters of all time.
“It makes such a difference. People have no idea how much of a difference, and I know it because I’ve trained with people who are using peak performance-enhancing drugs. I’ve trained with a lot of them, that I know for sure. I’ve trained with them, and you could see a huge difference. Like, when you grapple with them, it’s not even the same guy. It’s like if you’re taking two different human beings. It’s completely insane.
“Just look at the difference with some of the — I’m not saying any names, because I don’t want to attack an individual, I want to change the system — just look at the difference with some people. Look, I remember there was a fight between two opponents, and one guy said, ‘Oh, it’s not the performance-enhancing [drugs] that threw the kick. It’s me.’ Actually, it’s not true. That’s the performance-enhancing drugs that threw the kick, because you wouldn’t have thrown the kick [like that] if you would have not taken them. You know what I mean? So to give you an example, it makes you more creative, it makes you more hungry. It changes the physique.
“Also, not only the physique, it changes the mind of the person. So with people, they think it’s only affecting strength and conditioning and stuff like that. No, it doesn’t. It’s not only recuperation — it changes the person entirely. It makes him a better athlete. And yes, I think they should be removed from the [GOAT discussion].
“It’s very hard to say that. because a lot of people, they work hard. We know if they got caught once or twice, but we don’t know if they’re all taking it for all of their life or not, so it’s a hard topic to say. It’s not black or white. It’s grey.”
Now taking to Instagram, former UFC light heavyweight champion and two-time drug test violator Jon Jones has come forward with a response for the fighter.
“It sucks when you have to hear someone you’ve always shown respect to sit and talk foolishness. But that’s the nature of the game these days.
“Saying steroids change more than physical performance. ‘Make you more creative and hungry’. Do you know how crazy that sounds? I guess brain damage is real out here.
“Saying PED metabolites threw a kick? Come on man. It’s called training and identifying a weakness. So much in fact I told him to his face it was coming and then landed it. That’s called execution.
“How about rather than campaigning for GOAT status you get in there and dominate your next fight. I’ve had nothing but respect for you over all these years. Don’t change that now. You’re better than this.”
