The former two-time UFC welterweight champion relinquished the 185lbs title on Thursday night, 33 days after prising it from Michael Bisping's clutches at UFC 217 with a third-round submission victory. 

St-Pierre, who penned a new four-fight deal with the promotion in February, did so as he's currently struggling with a bout of Colitis and doesn't want to hold up the progression of the division. 

His decision to vacate the title has led to Robert Whittaker being promoted from interim to undisputed middleweight champion. 

The Australian will make the first defence of his title at UFC 221, a card which will see him take on the division's former ruler, Luke Rockhold. 

St-Pierre, 36, has yet to indicate if he intends to fight again, a failure which has led many to believe he may go back into retirement. 

According to UFC president Dana White, St-Pierre has no desire to return to the welterweight division and could very well hang up his gloves again. 

“He doesn’t want to fight anybody at welterweight,” White told the assembled media after UFC Fight Night 123. 

“That’s why he fought Bisping. He didn’t want to fight Woodley. He didn’t want to fight ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.

“He didn’t want to fight any of those guys. 

"He only wanted to fight Michael Bisping. He did, and now he’s off again.”

While St-Pierre's decision to vacate the middleweight title surprised many in the mixed martial arts world, it didn't shock White, who had a sneaking suspicion 'GSP' wouldn't fulfil his contractual obligation to fight Whittaker. 

“I thought I would be (p****d), but I’m not. I expected it,” he added.

“Listen, I had him sign a contract that said he would defend against Whittaker for a reason. Because I knew he wouldn’t.

“At the end of the day, there’s a reason I put that stuff in the contract for him to sign.

“Am I shocked? I don’t think anybody’s shocked. He came out, and he hand-picked Bisping and went away again.

"So, whatever. It is what it is.”