Georges St-Pierre (25-2, 8 KOs) has vacated his UFC welterweight title and will take an indefinite leave from the sport. The 32-year-old MMA star announced his decision on Friday during a conference call, a few weeks after telling Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview after his split decision win over Johnny Hendricks af UFC 167 that he needed to step away.
“I’ve had 22 fights in the UFC; 15 of my fights were for a world title. I’ve been fighting for a very long time [at] a high level. It’s a lot of pressure, a lot of criticism. I’ve decided I need to take time off. I know the UFC is a business and they can’t wait for my little person, for sure. They have to keep things rolling. So I vacate my title for the respect of the other competitors. And one day, when I feel like it, I might come back. But right now I need a break,” he said.
St-Pierre posted this tweet on Saturday to all his followers:
Here is the audio clip of GSP’s announcement
In this clip, he talks about the pressure that comes with staying at the top:
