This afternoon, UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre basically said that he needed to take a break from the life of a champion fighter and put himself on indefinite hiatus. Let all that sink in for a minute. The most globally recognized, dominating champion in the UFC has opted to take some time away from the sport that has made him a multimillionaire. This may have been the biggest news to rock the UFC in many years.
“I’ve been fighting for a long time. I have 22 fights in the UFC, and 15 were for a world title. I’ve been fighting a long time at a high level, a lot of pressure and criticizing,” stated St-Pierre on a media call this afternoon. “I’ve decided I needed to take some time off.”
Following his controversial victory over Johnny Hendricks last month, St-Pierre has sounded like a man going through some serious mental anguish. While rumors of an unwanted child and an illness to his father were quickly shot down, the fact of the matter is that there is something definitely wrong in St-Pierre’s life right now and fighting is taking a distant backseat to it.
Of course, this is good for St-Pierre. Fighting is not a sport that one can participate in if not 100% mentally focused. Shit can get real, real fast in the cage if you are not completely focused.
St-Pierre has been an exemplary ambassador for the sport of MMA and the UFC as a company. His absence will be missed, though St-Pierre stated he may return to fighting in the near future. St-Pierre will vacate his title while in hiatus.
UFC president Dana White backed St-Pierre on his decision backtracking from some insensitive remarks he uttered last month.
“This is fighting, and you have to be 100% mentally, physically, and emotionally,” the UFC president explained. “If you’re not, you should wait on the sidelines until you get your stuff cleared up.”
White announced today that Johnny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler will fight for the vacant welterweight title at UFC 171 in Dallas on March 15.
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