UFC president Dana White recently revealed that Georges St-Pierre is going to be sidelined for the near future due to a medical condition.
Following his victory over Michael Bisping to capture the middleweight champion at UFC 217 in November, St-Pierre disclosed that he had one of the worst experiences of his career while trying to maintain weight for his first 185-pound bout. It got to the point where his coaches nearly advised him to pull out of the bout.
He now knows that there was a medical reason for the issues he was having.
St-Pierre recently issued a statement via Facebook about his medical issues, confirming that he has a condition known as ulcerative colitis.
“I now understand the health issues that I had during my last training camp,” he wrote. “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 health is my #1 priority right now. I’m still a very happy man, thanks for your support!!!”
According to the Mayo Clinic: “Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes long-lasting inflammation and ulcers (sores) in your digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis affects the innermost lining of your large intestine (colon) and rectum… Ulcerative colitis can be debilitating and can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. While it has no known cure, treatment can greatly reduce signs and symptoms of the disease and even bring about long-term remission.”
Following his victory over Bisping, St-Pierre was expected to return to the Octagon and unify his newly won belt with the interim championship currently wrapped around Robert Whittaker’s waist.
St-Pierre hasn’t revealed any details about what doctor’s expect for his recovery, so it is currently unclear what his prospects are for a full recovery and when he might be able to return to the Octagon.
The Mayo Clinic states that medication is often enough alleviate symptoms and bring about remission, but in cases where medication doesn’t work, surgery can be required and often eliminate ulcerative colitis, “but that usually means removing your entire colon and rectum (proctocolectomy).”
St-Pierre, of course, is hoping that medication will be enough to help him move forward from the condition and get back in the Octagon to defend his newly minted belt.
