UFC Middleweight Champion Georges St-Pierre Sidelined Indefinitely with Colitis
Most top rated UFC betting sites will list Georges St-Pierre as the favorite to reclaim his middleweight crown once he returns to the octagon, but it will be a while until we see him again.
UFC President Dana White recently revealed that St-Pierre has been diagnosed with colitis, and that the middleweight champ will be “out for a minute.” There is currently no definitive timetable for St-Pierre’s return.
Colitis is an illness that attacks the colon, causing fevers, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, shortness of breath and other side effects. Colitis occasionally requires surgery, which should keep St-Pierre out of action for quite some time.
St-Pierre claimed the middleweight crown by defeating Michael Bisping at UFC 217 last month. It was St. Pierre’s first official fight in about 4 years after he had previously fought in the welterweight division. The 36-year-old had to get up to 185 pounds in order to fight Bisping for the middleweight title, which was something St. Pierre admitted was hard on his body.
Over the weekend, St-Pierre posted a message to Facebook in which he detailed his current health situation:
“I now understand the health issues that I had during my last training camp…I hoped my condition would improve after the fight but unfortunately it got worse and I had to go straight to the hospital for a colonoscopy when I came back from vacation last Wednesday. The diagnosis is ulcerative colitis and I am now taking medication that will hopefully appease the symptoms. My healthy is my #1 priority right now, I’m still a very happy man, thanks for your support!”
St-Pierre’s future in the octagon is uncertain, especially considering he got back into the game after a lengthy 4-year absence. While he’ll be sidelined for months, White still expects St-Pierre to return at some point. White recently said that he would be “super pissed” if St-Pierre eventually refused to defend his new middleweight crown. Earlier this year, St-Pierre inked a new deal with UFC that explicitly stated that he would defend the title if he beat Bisping at UFC 217.
While the colitis is the most pressing ailment, St-Pierre also revealed after the win over Bisping that he suffered a neck injury during the bout. Despite that injury, St-Pierre did say that he plans to defend his title. “There’s going to be news about it in the next few weeks,” he said. “I don’t plan to hold the title and not defend it.”
Once St-Pierre does return, most expect he will be defending his title against Australian Robert Whittaker.
