St-Pierre steps away from UFC
UFC welterweight Georges St-Pierre is walking away from the sport and might not return to fighting.
St-Pierre announced Friday that he will give up his title and take an indefinite leave. But he stopped short of saying he was retiring or that he will never return to the octagon.
"One day when I feel like it, I might come back," St-Pierre said. "But right now I need a break."
With the welterweight title vacated, Johny Hendricks will fight Robbie Lawler at UFC 171 on March 15 in Dallas for the title, UFC president Dana White said.
St-Pierre won a controversial decision over Hendricks last month in Las Vegas to remain the champion.
"I don't want to make nobody wait," St-Pierre said. "I want to (come back) when I feel like it. I'll become stronger when I will. It has to be up to me. It has to be on my terms."
The 32-year-old St-Pierre indicated that he was tired of the pressure to compete but that he would continue to train. He also said his personal life is a "freakin' zoo."
"?You can tell by the way he talks that the issues he deals with outside the octagon are driving him nuts," White said. "He's obsessing about them and they're driving him crazy."
White called St-Pierre the greatest welterweight of all time. St-Pierre is satisfied with what he accomplished during his career. The Montreal native leaves with a record of 25-2.
"I'm content," St-Pierre said. "It's a lot of things I wanted to do. I wanted to be the greatest, and also I said before when I do things, I want to do things to be remembered, to make a difference in the sport, make the sport reach another level."
