Georges St. Pierre Declares Knee Surgery 'Huge Success'

Georges St. Pierre is one step closer towards returning to the Octagon.

The damaged UFC welterweight champion underwent successful knee surgery at Los Angeles' Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic on Tuesday. Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache performed the procedure.

"Dr. ElAttrache says my surgery (ACL patellar tendon autograft) was huge success!" St. Pierre tweeted. "Ligament very strong. Thanks for support!"

St. Pierre tore his ACL last week, marking the champion's second injured knee in two months, and was forced out of an expected title defense against Nick Diaz at UFC 143. The 30-year-old previously sprained his knee in preparation to fight Carlos Condit at UFC 137.

With St. Pierre expected to sit out most of 2012, Diaz and Condit have been tapped for an interim title bout in February.

"A month ago, I was world champion, and I was on top of the world," St. Pierre stated in the aftermath of the injury. "Now I'm in a downfall. But you recognize a champion by how he comes back from a loss, not how he is when everything goes well."

"Everybody that says bad stuff about me now, mark my words, I'm going to tell you right now ... in a few months I'm going to be back stronger than ever and I will be champion again. This, I promise my fans."