Georges St-Pierre has confirmed his desire to return to the UFC and today made a major step in that process, joining the USADA testing program.
At the moment, no official return date has been set though.
The UFC and USADA require any athlete returning from retirement to best subject to random drug testing for four months before they would eligible to compete.
St-Pierre spoke to Bloody Elbow about his return and noted that he will start the USADA program today, August 10th. That being true, the soonest St-Pierre could be back in the Octagon is December 10th.
Everybody’s asking the same question for the past few weeks, more actually: Are you coming back?
GSP: I want to. My agent is negotiating with the UFC, they had an offer, we made a counteroffer, you know that’s how business goes. And then we heard a day after that UFC sold for $4 billion dollars. So we waited for a few days, to see what was going on, because even some of the employees were afraid of losing their job – even some of the high ranking people in the UFC were afraid. We wanted to let the management to take care of their own company first, and then see what happens. Now we’re talking again and I’m starting the USADA process to be tested, I’m starting it Aug 10. in Las Vegas. Because to be eligible to fight you need to be tested.
Unless you’re Brock Lesnar.
GSP: Yeah exactly, but he had a free pass, I think it was an exemption of a month or something like that. 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 Aug 10. 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.
source: bloodyelbow.com
As was the case with Brock Lesnar, it is likely that St-Pierre could have received an exemption from his rule in that he retired before the UFC instituted it’s anti-doping program with USADA. However St-Pierre has been a vocal proponent of increased drug testing in the UFC and likely would not have taken the exemption even if offered.
