St. Pierre came to the defense of his old rival. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
A few years ago, Georges St Pierre e Nick Diaz staged one of the UFC's most intense rivalries, culminating in the fight between them for the welterweight belt in 2013. However, currently the Canadian has left his turbulent past aside and has come to the defense of the North American, who received a heavy doping suspension.
See too
Last month, Diaz received no less than five years of punishment from the Nevada Athletic Commission for being caught with marijuana in the fight he had with Anderson Silva, in January. In terms of comparison, the Brazilian, who also failed the exam at the time, using anabolic steroids, only received a one-year suspension.
GSP, who is one of the biggest advocates of stricter anti-doping enforcement in MMA, this time changed his tone and stated that Diaz received a disproportionate punishment in relation to his infraction.
“I personally think five years is too long. Especially when you see that Anderson Silva and other guys who were caught doping received lighter suspensions. I think they wanted to make an example of him and send a message, because he is a character who attracts attention and makes noise. Unfortunately, this fell on him, but everyone should have a second chance”, said St. Pierre, in an interview with the Canadian website “RDS”.
The former champion recognizes that the use of marijuana represents a breach of the rule, but says that its benefits are less impactful than those of other substances. “Yes, marijuana is a drug, but I think there should be different punishments for certain products, because it doesn't make sense. Marijuana can help someone suffering from anxiety, but it doesn't make you stronger or more powerful. I don’t think this should be judged so harshly,” he added.
[vox id=”29238″]
Comments