Former two division UFC champion Georges St. Pierre has never failed a drug test during his lengthy professional MMA career.
However, several fighters that GSP has faced and many more he hasn’t fought have failed drug tests, which is why GSP states that competitors who use illegal substances should be removed from the GOAT discussion.
“It makes such a difference,” St. Pierre told MMA Fighting. “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.”
Perhaps the fighter closest to GOAT status in MMA that has failed multiple drug tests is former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, who has failed two drug tests during his UFC tenure.
Jones reportedly got a shorter sentence on the second failed drug test for allegedly agreeing to snitch on others, but GSP says that’s how the American justice system works.
“So that’s the thing: If you look at the American justice system, the crime system, when they catch one bandit, when they catch someone for a felony, the guy has a chance to reduce his sentence normally if he’s talking,” St. Pierre said. “That’s how the crime system is made in the United States. USADA is from the United States, they’re using the same thing.”
It has been nearly a year since fans last saw GSP in action, with his last fight being a submission win over Michael Bisping at UFC 217.
In response to what GSP said, a disappointed Jones posted the following on Instagram:
