At one time not so long ago, Georges St. Pierre and Nick Diaz were rivals fighting in the Octagon, but that’s all water under the bridge now as far as GSP is concerned.
During an interview with Canada’s RDS, St. Pierre speaks out in support of Diaz regarding his battle to overturn a five year suspension handed down by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for a for a positive marijuana drug test following his fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 183 earlier this year.
“Personally, I think five years is too much,” St-Pierre told RDS. “Especially when you think about Anderson Silva and other guys who were doping and received a lighter suspension compared to [Diaz].
“I think they wanted to make an example out of him to send a message because he’s a colorful character who talks a lot and makes a lot of noise. They wanted to make an example out of him like they did in the Olympics with Marion Jones, for example. Unfortunately, it fell on him, but I think everyone is entitled to a second chance.”
St. Pierre is well known to be a vocal supporter of enhanced drug testing in the sport, but his focus has always been on performance enhancing drugs like steroids rather than what he appears to view as a relatively harmless drug like marijuana.
“Yes, [marijuana is] a drug, but I think there should be different penalties for certain products competitors use, because this makes no sense. Marijuana could help someone that suffers from anxiety, but it won’t make you stronger or more powerful. I don’t think it should be judged upon so severely.”
GSP goes on to say that despite Diaz’s antics in the past, which included repeatedly calling him out and then failing to show up for press conferences when they did get booked to fight, he actually likes him and would be willing to go as far as to help him in his fight against his suspension.
“Nick is a very charismatic guy. A lot of people talk about him. But he isn’t someone I hate,” St-Pierre said. “I hold no ill will towards him. Several things were said before our fight, but it was purely from a sporting perspective. I didn’t take any of it personally.
“We need a guy like him in this sport and I hope he will return soon. If I can help him in one or another, without embarrassing me, it would be a pleasure for me to do. I like him a lot and I wish him all the best.”
Many people would also like to see St. Pierre return to the sport soon too, though UFC president Dana White went on record recently stating that he didn’t think the former long-time champion would come back.
GSP himself still appears to be on the fence about that particular subject, though it seems that he is leaning more towards the possibility that he might one day decide to step back into the Octagon.
“I’m starting to get the feeling, more and more, to come back,” St-Pierre said. “I watch the fights to see what’s going on in my division, and I’m staying in shape. It’s like a knife that I have to keep sharp just in case I ever decide to jump back in the mix.
