Former top heavyweight Heath Herring and his wife TV presenter Sarah (Grant) Herring, recently did a fan Q&A sponsored by Poker News, and discussed getting kissed by Yoshihiro Nakao, how he came to be called ‘The Texas Crazy Horse’ and PED use in Pride. Herring also took a markedly contrarian stance on PEDs, arguing that it is not cheating.

“There was tons of it in Japan,” said Herring, as transcribed by Tim Burke for BE. “It was kind of encouraged. It wasn’t looked down upon, so it was totally cool, okay.”

“It’s like regulation, it’s like everything else. Obviously you’re putting a monetary value on athleticism, so I find it to be a little bit hypocritical if people are doing everything in their power to become better at something. It’s a little bit strange. You’re paying people for winning, and they’re doing everything they can to win.

“Is performance enhancing eating a good diet, and training, those are all performance enhancing, right? If people have more money, they can eat a better diet and have better equipment and better trainers and better access to things, that’s helping them. I don’t know, I find it a little bit hypocritical sometimes. And it’s also up to the athlete I think too. If you want to put something in your body…I don’t know, I’m such a Libertarian though. I’m like, whatever you want to do to yourself.”

“I don’t really see it as cheating I guess.”

Herring, 37, has not fought since losing to Brock Lesnar at UFC 87 on August 9, 2008.