He's baaaack.

After a 16 month layoff that's included undergoing major reconstructive knee surgery, UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre has finally been cleared medically to fight. The man many to be the greatest welterweight of all time, will take on interim champion Carlos Condit at UFC 154 in his hometown Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Nov. 17. 

"I'm now medically cleared to compete in professional mixed martial arts events- Rendez-vous le 17 novembre, @UFC 154, Montréal, " St. Pierre tweeted. "Special thanks to Dr. ElAttrache & Heather at @KerlanJobe, Gavin at @sportsciencelab & all of you great fans for the amazing support."

St. Pierre (22-2) hasn't seen the inside of a cage since April of 2011 when he dispatched of Jake Shields at UFC 129 in a drawn out five round decision, his fourth such decision in four fights. In fact, the champ hasn't finished a fight since his forth-round TKO over B.J Penn in January of 2009, a span of over three and a half years.

It's a point not lost on St. Pierre, who has reassessed his style and vowed to come back a more exciting fighter with more finishes. He'll get his chance when he takes on one of the divisions' most exciting fighters in Condit, who is a fight-of-night waiting to happen.

Condit (28-5), who claimed the vacant interim welterweight strap in a hard fought battle over Nick Diaz at UFC 143 in February, has been patiently waiting for St. Pierre since, passing up other fights in the process in order to assure himself of this title shot. Since his razor thin decision loss to Martin Kampmann at a UFC Fight Night event in 2009, he's reeled off five straight victories including big wins over Jake Ellenberger, Dan Hardy, and GSP's impressive young protege, Rory MacDonald.