Georges St-Pierre vacates UFC middleweight belt; new champion Robert Whittaker to meet Luke Rockhold

Reporting from NEW YORK —  Citing a need to “focus on my health,” UFC middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre has vacated his belt barely a month since winning it over Michael Bisping at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The UFC promptly scheduled a middleweight title fight Feb. 10 in Perth, Australia, between newly named champion Robert Whittaker of Australia and former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold.

“My fight at UFC 217 was one of the greatest nights of my life, but I now need to take some time to focus on my health,” Canada’s St-Pierre said after returning from a four-year absence to defeat England’s Bisping by third-round chokehold.

“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.”

Whittaker has impressively defeated Cuba’s Yoel Romero and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza while ascending to the title, while Rockhold (16-3) returned from his June 2016 knockout loss to Bisping at the Forum to defeat David Branch by second-round knockout on Sept. 16.