Upcoming UFC welterweight title challenger Johny Hendricks didn’t hesitate in accepting champion Georges St-Pierre’s invitation to participate in Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) drug testing ahead of their November 16 showdown.
GSP made the suggestion last Saturday, July 6, while Hendricks accepted the challenge with open arms on Thursday, according to Sportsnet.
“I believe VADA testing. I’m up for it, and I invite my opponent to do the VADA testing for the championship fight,” St-Pierre told UFC Central host Showdown Joe Ferraro. “I invite, if possible, all the high-profile athletes in the UFC to do the same. I believe it’s a good thing. It’s a bit of a pain in the butt sometimes, but … I’m ready to do it to set a good example.”
Hendricks, a four-time Division I All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State University, has absolutely no problem being drug tested any time, any place and anywhere.
“The worst thing that they’re going to find is a little bit of protein in my diet. If eating wild hogs and organic deer meat and a little bit of glutamine is bad for the ol’ system, then I might fail,” Hendricks joked during an appearance on UFC Central Radio on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “It doesn’t matter. Today, tomorrow, three months from now, I’ll gladly take a test for anything.”
Neither St-Pierre nor Hendricks have ever failed a drug test in their professional MMA careers, though that hasn’t stopped previous opponents from throwing accusations at the French-Canadian champion.
“Rush” enters the fall championship bout on the strength of an 11-fight win streak, which includes eight title defenses.
His most recent outing inside the cage was a lopsided unanimous decision over former Strikeforce titleholder Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in March.
Meanwhile, “Bigg Rigg” earned his shot at the gold by rattling off six straight victories at 170 pounds, including knockouts over perennial contenders in Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann.
Hendricks most recently became a “Fight of the Year” candidate when he out-pointed former interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit, also at UFC 158 in March.
GSP and Hendricks clash at UFC 167, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Will VADA drug testing become the norm for UFC championship fights, or is the UFC still a ways off from imposing those measures?
John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.
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