Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is headed back to an Octagon soon.
After a three-plus-year absence from the UFC, the man many consider the greatest fighter of all time will move up in weight for the first time in his career when he takes on current middleweight champion Michael Bisping.
St-Pierre has never been one to pull punches as far as issues he sees within within the sport. He became infamous for railing against a lack of drug testing. During his time away, the UFC instituted much stricter testing when it partnered up with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
Now GSP is speaking out about weight-cutting.
“I’m not a big fan of cutting weight. I always prioritize my health over my performance,” he said during a recent appearance on the UFC Unfiltered podcast (h/t MMAWeekly.com).
“I believe the new weigh-in in the morning (the day) before the fight, I think it’s a bad thing. Because now guys, they see it as an opportunity to cut more weight. So, I think it’s a bad thing. I told [UFC president] Dana [White] when I saw him that I don’t see it as a good thing.”
Many credit St-Pierre’s vocalness around drug testing for influencing the UFC’s behavior. Perhaps he can now have a positive impact when it comes to issues related to weight-cutting. It’s safe to say the Canadian’s legacy in MMA will extend beyond the cage long after he retires.
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