UFC 171 Fight Card: UFC Fans might find it hard to believe that there will be a new Welterweight Champion walking out of the American Airlines Center in Dallas other than George St-Pierre this coming Saturday at UFC 171.
It will be a battle between two worthy contenders in Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler.
St-Pierre, who won the interim belt on Dec. 29, 2007, and then captured the full title on April 19, 2008, voluntarily surrendered his title last December 13, 2013 to take some time off from MMA. St. Pierre said he will try to be at the venue to watch the fight, but there will be no feelings of nostalgia as he watches another man wear the title he had for 6 years.
"This was my choice, it is what I wanted, so I won't feel badly at all" to see either Hendricks or Lawler crowned champion, St-Pierre said.
He told Yahoo Sports the pressure of being champion "was just eating me alive, totally, and I couldn't go on one more second that way.
"When I have a fight, it completely takes over my brain and all of my thoughts," he said. "From the day they told me, 'Georges, you're going to fight this guy, or you're going to fight that guy,' I didn't think of anything else. When I was awake, it was always in my head and in my mind. I would completely obsess about every detail of that fight. 'Am I doing this right? Do I need to do this? Should I do that?' It was crazy.
Few months ago, he also said in a statement that he had quit the UFC due to weak UFC Drug Testing. (Weak Ufc Drug Testing Is Why GSP Retired! 'Fear Of Losing Money' Reason For Lack Of Doping Tests Says Former Welterweight Champ Georges St Pierre!)
He is asked about a return all the time, he said, but he simply doesn't know. Fans would just have to wait for UFC 171 if the former champ will make a statement about a return. (Georges St Pierre Will Not Retire. Former UFC Champ 'Just Took A Break' GSP Says 'There Is A Chance I Will Come Back')
"My life is a lot better because of fighting," he said. "I made a lot of money and I live a good life now and that is because of fighting. But it also was tearing me apart because of how I am.
"I started to fight because I loved it and it was what I wanted to do more than anything. But the pressure of it was so intense, and it was no way to live my life."
Below are the main fight cards for UFC 171:
Welterweight - Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler
Welterweight - Carlos Condit vs. Tyron Woodley
Lightweight - Diego Sanchez vs. Myles Jury
Welterweight - Jake Shields vs. Hector Lombard
Light Heavyweight - Ovince St. Preux vs. Nikita Krylov
