Slowly but surely, we seem to be edging towards Georges St-Pierre’s return to the Octagon.
The legendary long-time welterweight champion has toyed with and teased a comeback throughout 2016 but official steps are now being taken to ensure that he will be able to return to competition.
St-Pierre, who vacated his 170 lbs title in 2013, reportedly went through a successful trial training camp earlier this year and is ready to get back at it after being called out by new welterweight champion Tyron Woodley last week.
And the Montreal native has revealed that he has entered the testing pool of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, the UFC’s official anti-doping partner, as those protocols weren’t in existence when St-Pierre was an active fighter.
“We’re talking again and I’m starting the USADA process to be tested, I’m starting it (today) in Las Vegas,” St-Pierre told BloodyElbow.com. “Because to be eligible to fight you need to be tested.”
The concept of fighters from the pre-USADA era returning to the UFC has a brighter spotlight shone on it than ever before after Brock Lesnar was granted an exemption from USADA’s usual rule that requires fighters to undergo four months of testing prior to returning to competition.
USADA waived that requirement for Lesnar’s comeback last month and we all know how that turned out as the former heavyweight champion failed two drug tests, the results of which only came out after he had defeated Mark Hunt in the UFC 200 co-main event.
Brock Lesnar has failed another drug test https://t.co/cXsVKfyhK1
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 19, 2016
And St-Pierre, who has been vocally critical of doping throughout his career, has revealed that he does not want such an exemption and that he wants to do everything by the book ahead of his return.
“He (Lesnar) had a free pass, I think it was an exemption of a month or something like that,” St-Pierre said. “But me, I don’t want to be an exception, because I was very outspoken about performance enhancing drugs. It would be bad for my reputation if I would have an exemption – I don’t want to have a free pass, I want to be like everybody else. That’s why I’ll be starting the process (today).
“I don’t have any fight yet, but it’s gonna happen now, because I’m getting tested, if I’m getting tested it’s for a reason.”
That four-month period in USADA’s testing pool would rule GSP out of a comeback fight at Madison Square Garden on November 12 at UFC 205, the event that many believed would be perfect for the Canadian.
A number of potential opponents have made their way through the rumour mill ever since St-Pierre first intimated that a return was in his mind.
Michael Bisping, Tyron Woodley, Chael Sonnen and a rematch with Nick Diaz are likely the frontrunners and, by the sounds of things, ‘Rush’ would not be averse to facing Diaz again.
“It seems to me like it’s Nick Diaz that is running for another shot at me. I wouldn’t mind, I’m not afraid of Nick Diaz, I’ll tell you. I am telling you right now: If it’s what the fans want to see, I’m in,” he continued.
“I don’t care if it’s the first, or second, or third (fight). If they want me to fight Nick Diaz it would be my pleasure. I don’t mind, I am not afraid of Nick Diaz, I beat him last time, and I’ll beat him even worse, I’ll beat him way worse next time that I’ll fight him.
“I beat him last time easily, but I was not happy. It’s one of these fights that I’m not happy with because I didn’t feel like I gave enough, for different reasons. It left me angry that fight, when I look back at it – maybe I won, but for some reason it left me angry and I feel like I could have done so much better.”
