UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre took a moment to respond to Nick Diaz’s allegations of steroid use and give his opinion on Testosterone Replacement Therapy at the UFC 158 post-fight press conference on Saturday night.
A reporter informed St-Pierre that Nick Diaz had apparently told a Toronto radio station that he thought Georges was on steroids.
St-Pierre responded:
“I never took steroids in my life and I am for Olympic testing in my sport. I am up for doing the Olympic test, I have no problem with that. I am not a cheater, I have never cheated in my sport.”
It’s possible Diaz told the radio station he thought Georges was on steroids as just another way to get under St-Pierre’s skin — something he successfully did throughout the build-up to UFC 158. But being such a hot topic in the world of Mixed Martial Arts right now, and considering UFC President Dana White’s recent declaration of war against TRT, it is refreshing to hear St-Pierre’s opinion on the matter.
“I am against TRT, I am against all this. If you want my opinion, you can test me any time, no problem. I am for the testing, anti-doping, I think it should be more regulated.”
In a sport which is so physically demanding, only the best athletes and competitors can expect to go far. Skill and technique are important elements that can contribute heavily to a fighter’s success, but athleticism and physical ability is also required. Many people are worried that TRT, if used in the wrong way, could cause certain fighters to have an unfair advantage in the physical department.
“By the way, someone say to me I am athletic, for me, I take that as a compliment. That means you think I am a good athlete, you know. So, for him, in his mind he says ‘oh he needs to be on steroids because he is very athletic’. For me, I take that as a compliment. He boosts my confidence by saying that.”
It should be noted St-Pierre has never tested positive for any banned substance. And for these accusations to come from a fighter who just came off a year’s suspension for testing positive for marijuana metabolites, it’s almost comical. But if I had won my last 10 fights in a row with seven straight title defenses and someone was attributing my success to “Oh, he must be on steroids” — I’d probably take that as a compliment too.
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