It’d take a serious issue to make Georges St-Pierre pledge public support for longstanding rival Nick Diaz. However, Diaz’s controversial five-year suspension for a positive marijuana test seems to meet the requirements.

Diaz (26-10 MMA, 7-7 UFC) and St-Pierre (25-2 MMA, 19-2 UFC) have thrived at the top of the sport for much of the past decade. Diaz held the Strikeforce title at the same time St-Pierre held UFC gold, and it was typically difficult for either fighter to go through an interview without having the other’s name mentioned.

After years of campaigning for the fight, Diaz finally got his UFC title shot against St-Pierre at UFC 158 in March 2013. Following plenty of back and forth in the buildup to the fight. Diaz ripped St-Pierre’s background and his approach to the sport while “Rush” vented and grew frustrated with Diaz’s lack of professionalism.

The issue was settled inside the octagon when St-Pierre won a unanimous decision in his second-to-last fight before taking an indefinite hiatus from competition in December 2013.

During St-Pierre’s absence, Diaz has fought just once. He met Anderson Silva in January’s UFC 183 headliner in a matchup that produced arguably more negative fallout than any other matchup in UFC history.

Silva tested positive for a variety of performance-enhancing and non-performance-enhancing drugs and was suspended for one year. Diaz, on the other hand, was flagged for marijuana for the third time in his career and received a five-year suspension and $165,000 fine from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The response to Diaz’s lengthy suspension has been almost unanimous outrage. From UFC champions such as Ronda Rousey speaking out to a fairly successful White House petition to celebrities such as Cher tweeting support, nearly everyone in the industry has backed Diaz.

St-Pierre is the latest to voice his support.

“Personally, I think five years is a lot, especially if you compare his case to Anderson Silva or other athletes who got caught cheating and received a lighter suspension,” St-Pierre told French-Canadian news outlet RDS. “I think they wanted to use him as an example because of how colorful he is and of the attention he gets. They wanted to create a precedent similar to what has been done in Olympic sports with Marion Jones, for example.

“Unfortunately, it happened to fall on him, but I think everyone is entitled to a second chance.”

Diaz has already had a second chance, having tested positive for marijuana in 2007 and 2012. The issue with the latest suspension, however, is the inconsistent evidence the NSAC used against Diaz.

The 32-year-old was tested three times on the night of Jan. 31 bout against Silva at UFC 183. Diaz came in under the allowable threshold on the first and third tests, which were sent to World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) accredited labs. The second test, sent to a non-WADA accredited lab, came back showing Diaz’s limits at well above the allowable range.

Although Diaz holds a medical marijuana license in California and his UFC 183 test results were inconsistent at best, the commission handed him one of the harshest penalties ever. St-Pierre has been a career-long anti-PED advocate, but even he admitted to the obvious flaws in Diaz’s case.

“This is a drug, yes, but I think there should be different penalties for certain products that competitors use, because then it does not really make sense,” St-Pierre said. “Marijuana can help a person suffering from anxiety, but it cannot make you physically stronger or more powerful, more efficient. The sanctions should not be as severe.”

Diaz’s legal team has vowed to continue its fight against the suspension with hopes it will eventually be lifted. St-Pierre also hopes Diaz is eventually cleared. Even though the two fighters have had their differences in the past, St-Pierre said he holds no ill will toward Diaz and even offered to provide any assistance within the realm of possibility.

“Nick is a very charismatic, he makes a lot of attention, but it’s not someone I hate. I have no hatred toward him,” St-Pierre said. “Many things had been said before our fight, but it was only in sporting terms. I did not take anything personal.

“We need guys like him in the sport, and I hope he will return soon. If I can help in one way or another, without getting in trouble, it’ll make me happy to do so. This is someone that I like, and I wish him the best of luck.”

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