News

Robert Whittaker Named UFC Middleweight Champion After Georges St-Pierre Vacates Title

Georges St-Pierre has vacated the UFC’s middleweight championship, one month after earning the title in a third-round submission against Michael Bisping at UFC 217.

UFC Middleweight champion name news

Interim middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has been elevated to the division’s official titleholder and will face Luke Rockhold in the main event of UFC 221 on Feb. 10 in Perth, Australia.

Whittaker (19-4) won the interim championship in July by defeating Yoel Romero via unanimous decision. The 26-year-old New Zealand native aggravated a knee injury in that fight and took the rest of 2017 off.

St-Pierre (26-2) is currently suffering from colitis, (an inflammation of the colon/digestive tract) and the 36-year-old Canadian said he does not want to hold up the UFC’s 185-pound weight class.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

“My fight at UFC 217 was one of the greatest nights of my life, but I now need to take some time off to focus on my health,” St-Pierre said. “Out of respect to the athletes and the sport, I don’t want to hold up the division.

“I will be giving up my belt and once I’m healthy, I look forward to working with the UFC to determine what’s next in my career.”

St-Pierre had taken a four-year break from active competition before defeating Bisping at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Nov. 4. He is now the first fighter to vacate a title in two different divisions, as he yielded his welterweight belt in 2013 before his hiatus. The 5-foot-10, 198-pound Canadian is also only the fourth fighter in UFC history to become champion in two different weight classes.

St-Pierre told TSN on Wednesday that he believes he got sick as a result of his move up to middleweight.

“After the fight, I thought first it was the stress that caused it and it would go away, but it did not go away,” St-Pierre said. “So what happened is even after the fight it persisted and I knew something was wrong so I let a few days pass by and after that I went to see a specialist. And I’ve been diagnosed with colitis, ulcer colitis, but now I have the medication and since I started medication it goes very well. So I’m almost 100-percent now.

The 33-year-old Rockhold (16-3), a former UFC champion, lost his title to Bisping at UFC 199 in June 2016. He is coming off a TKO victory over David Branch in September.

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 9: (L-R) Robert Whittaker punches Yoel Romero in their interim UFC middleweight championship bout during the UFC 213 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.

Recent Posts

Diontae Johnson Excited To Move From Panthers To Ravens, Could Help In Playoff Push

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson is reportedly settling in well with the Baltimore Ravens after the…

12 hours ago

What Happened To Aaron Judge? After Yankees Fall Short In World Series, Fans Are Asking Questions

Aaron Judge seemed to flip the script on his disastrous World Series and postseason with…

12 hours ago

As The Yankees Collapse In World Series, Free Agency Battle For Juan Soto Begins

The New York Yankees' 2024 season came to a screeching halt Wednesday night when the…

2 days ago

Dodgers Win World Series In Game 5, Yankees Blow Five-Run Lead In Disastrous Finale

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to win…

2 days ago

Brad Pitt Makes Surprise Appearance At Mexican Grand Prix To Shoot His Movie, ‘F1’

https://youtu.be/Y69VZZt9rt4 Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Mexican Grand Prix’s practice round on Oct. 26.…

2 days ago

76er’s Joel Embiid Stays In NBA News Even While Not Playing

Joel Embiid’s name came up twice in NBA news this week as he continues to…

3 days ago