When did Georges St-Pierre retire from the UFC?

Georges St-Pierre is widely considered the greatest welterweight in the sport of MMA and among the greatest champions the UFC has ever seen. This article takes a closer look at when the UFC Hall of Famer retired from the promotion, his legacy, and his impact on the sport after a career spanning over a decade. 

Georges St-Pierre competed in the UFC’s welterweight division and became the division’s longest-reigning champion. During his second reign, the legendary Canadian fighter set a new UFC record for the most successful welterweight title defenses with nine victories. 

Georges St-Pierre’s Career

Georges St-Pierre undoubtedly has one of the most impressive resumes in the history of the UFC and faced some of the world’s best welterweights during his time at the promotion. He made his promotional debut against Karo Parisyan at UFC 46 in January 2004, winning via unanimous decision, and then challenged Matt Hughes for the welterweight title after beating Jay Hieron at UFC 48. 

St-Pierre lost his first title bid after Hughes submitted ‘Rush’ in the first round of their title fight at UFC 50. However, he redeemed himself with four consecutive wins before beating Matt Hughes in the rematch to take home welterweight gold at UFC 65. 

While he lost his first title defense against Matt Serra via first-round TKO at UFC 69, St-Pierre won the interim title against Hughes in their trilogy fight and then secured the undisputed champion status after beating Matt Serra via second-round TKO at UFC 83. After winning the UFC welterweight title back, Georges St-Pierre went on an incredible nine-fight fight win streak, beating MMA greats like B.J. Penn, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz, and Johny Hendricks along the way. 

After beating Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 to secure his ninth title defense, Georges St-Pierre went on a four-year-long hiatus before returning to challenge Michael Bisping for the middleweight title at UFC 217 in November 2017. ‘Rush’ dominantly submitted Bisping in the third round to become the fourth fighter in UFC history to be a two-division champion. 

Georges St-Pierre’s Retirement

Georges St-Pierre vacated his welterweight title in December 2013 and the middleweight title just 34 days after winning it in December 2017. St-Pierre had previously revealed that he suffered from ulcerative colitis and had several fight bookings that failed to materialize. The Canadian legend even attempted to drop down to lightweight to face Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov but his efforts were thwarted by UFC president Dana White. 

Georges St-Pierre officially announced his retirement in February 2019. He left the sport with an incredible 26-2 record and is one of the most highly accomplished fighters the promotion has ever seen. 

Conclusion

After vacating both his titles, Georges St-Pierre retired from the UFC in February 2019. He defended his welterweight championship nine consecutive times, a feat only Anderson Silva and Jon Jones surpassed in UFC history. Outside the octagon, St-Pierre was a dedicated ambassador for MMA, and his impact on the sport cannot be overstated.