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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Though UFC brass doesn't want to accept that the poor state of PED testing in MMA contributed to Georges St-Pierre's exit at the end of last year, it continues to be a sticking point in keeping him out of the cage.
The former UFC Welterweight Champion has been outspoken on the state of PEDs in MMA since he went on hiatus, and said this week that he's simply not going to return without extensive - and independent - testing for him and his opponent.
"I will never fight again in MMA without my opponent and myself being thoroughly tested for the most advanced PEDs by a credible independent anti-doping organization like VADA or USADA under the strictest standards of the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) Code," St-Pierre said in an interview with Brent Brookhouse at BloodyElbow.com.
St-Pierre was also asked about the potential for a fighters union, and he believes it's something that would eventually be good for the sport, and he thinks eventually it's only natural for one to come together.
"I'm not aware of any professional athlete union that did not improve the working conditions and increase the paychecks of its members," he said. "I believe it will come someday in MMA, not because things are bad right now but because it's just part of the normal evolution of all major sports. I'm not a "politician" and people know that I'm not a confrontational person or someone who likes to be in front, so it would be hard for me to lead that kind of initiative. But I will never be against something that is good for the fighters."
Penick's Analysis: Well, this may kill any hope of seeing St-Pierre fight again. Even if the UFC does manage to do more widespread PED testing, they're not going with independent oversight. We're not going to see the UFC use VADA, and they're probably not going to get involved with USADA, so by St-Pierre's own standards here, it's unlikely to happen. That's disappointing, but it's also hard to blame him. He got tired of fighting potentially unclean opponents, and everything that happened into the Johny Hendricks fight last fall soured him further. It would be great to see him in the cage again, but we'll never see the premier version of St-Pierre anyway after two knee surgeries. Not at his age anyway. It might be time for anyone who hasn't accepted his absence to let go of the idea he'd actually return at this point.
[GSP art by Travis Beaven (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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