Report: Georges St. Pierre to Announce Retirement at Press Conference in Montreal

Former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St. Pierre is expected to announce his retirement from MMA at a press conference in Montreal on Thursday.

The news was first reported by Benoit Beaudoin. St. Pierre reportedly made his decision after negotiations for a bout with reigning UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov fell through. Thursday’s press conference will take place at the Bell Centre.

St. Pierre thanked Tristar coach Firas Zahabi on Twitter Wednesday:

After all these years, we remain undefeated together.
OSU Senseï @Firas_Zahabi pic.twitter.com/DMosz27WNS

— Georges St-Pierre (@GeorgesStPierre) February 19, 2019

St. Pierre returned to action at UFC 217 following a four-year hiatus from the sport. There, he captured the middleweight crown with a third-round submission of Michael Bisping at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 4, 2017. “Rush” would vacate the 185-pound belt shortly thereafter due to issues with ulcerative colitis, an inflammation of the inner lining of the colon which could have been caused by putting on extra weight to move up a division. St. Pierre didn’t officially retire and had been linked with several opponents, including Nurmagomedov.

Regarded as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of all time, St. Pierre will end his career on a 13-fight winning streak. The 37-year-old Tristar Gym standout lost just twice in 28 professional appearances overall. He initially left the sport in 2013, vacating the welterweight championship following a split-decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167.