Top free agent lightweight Will Brooks (17-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has signed a six-fight deal with the UFC and will meet Ross Pearson (19-10 MMA, 11-7 UFC) at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale.

MMAjunkie today confirmed the booking with UFC officials.

Brooks currently sits at No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings.

As MMAjunkie previously reported, Pearson was expected to face James Krause at the event, but Krause was forced to withdraw from the card.

The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale takes place July 8 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. The night’s official bout order has yet to be set, but the evening’s main card airs on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

As MMAjunkie reported in May, Brooks was released from Bellator despite holding the promotion’s lightweight belt at the time.

“It was very simple,” Bellator President Scott Coker told MMAjunkie at the time. “Will Brooks’ contract is ending, and we made a decision not to renew it. We’re going to give him a full release, so we’re not going to be in the Will Brooks business any longer.”

Brooks brings an eight-fight winning streak into his UFC debut. He fought most recently in November, earning a five-round unanimous decision win over Marcin Held to register his second consecutive defense of Bellator’s undisputed lightweight title.

Pearson will be looking for a second straight win for the first time in more than three years. After a two-fight winning streak over George Sotiropoulos and Ryan Couture, he had a no-contest with Melvin Guillard, then was robbed in a split-decision loss to Diego Sanchez that started his current eight-fight run of alternating losses and wins. Most recently, he took a split call from Chad Laprise in Australia in March at UFC Fight Night 85.

The current lineup for The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale includes:

Champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Claudia Gadelha – for for women’s strawweight title

opponent TBA vs. opponent TBA – “TUF 23” light heavyweight tournament final

opponent TBA vs. opponent TBA – “TUF 23” women’s strawweight tournament final

Will Brooks vs. Ross Pearson

Doo Ho Choi vs. Thiago Tavares

Andrew Holbrook vs. Joaquim Silva

Fernando Bruno vs. Gray Maynard

Cezar Ferreira vs. Anthony Smith

Li Jingliang vs. Anton Zafir

John Moraga vs. Matheus Nicolau

Kevin Lee vs. Jake Matthews

For more on The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.