Georges St. Pierre vacated his UFC welterweight title late last week, deciding that he needed to step away from training and fighting after a grueling battle with Johny "Big Rig" Hendricks left him battered in his last match.
On a media conference call he announced he was taking an indefinite leave from the octagon, and may not come back again. "One day when I feel like it, I might come back," St-Pierre said. "But right now I need a break."
He continued, "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 news was not necessarily a shock, as he hinted he would be walking away for some time in the immediate aftermath of his slugfest with Hendricks. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones recently weighed in on GSP's decision, and strongly supported it.
Watch Jones discuss GSP, future fights
"I don't think Georges should have come out and blamed it on stress or having too much pressure," Jones told MMAjunkie. "I don't think Georges owes anyone an explanation. I mean, he's done it all. Any extra - any more fights out of him - is just bonus. I don't think he should have went the route of saying he had too much stress. Now people are worried about him. Georges is long good, I'm sure."
While the entire mixed martial arts community is lauding him for walking away while he still has all his faculties about him, with others lamenting the lack of such self-awareness in other veteran fighters, UFC president Dana White believes personal demons are just as much at play in GSP's choice.
"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."
Jones had a final piece of advice for GSP, whom he clearly respects and admires. "The guy is young, successful, he has the whole world ahead of him. So I'm proud of Georges. I think he's been a great example, and I hope he's having fun with his vacation. Get a belly. Get a belly, Georges."
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