Six years after his last fight inside the Octagon, Josh Burkman is back to the UFC.

UFC president Dana White announced on Friday that Burkman, a contestant on the second edition of The Ultimate Fighter reality show in 2005, has signed a new deal with the promotion. Burkman will make his return to the Octagon at UFC 182, on Jan. 3, against welterweight contender Hector Lombard.

Burkman (27-10) re-signs with the UFC fresh off a first-round knockout over Tyler Stinson. He was scheduled to rematch fellow UFC veteran Jon Fitch in July, but was forced to withdraw from the WSOF 11 card with an elbow injury.

"The People’s Warrior" only lost twice in 11 bouts since leaving the UFC, going 4-1 under the WSOF banner with three stoppage victories over Stinson (KO), Fitch (submission) and Aaron Simpson (TKO).

Lombard (34-4-1, one no-contest) enters the bout coming off a pair of dominant victories over Jake Shields and Nate Marquardt. The former Bellator middleweight champion, who withdrew from a planned bout with Dong Hyun Kim in August with an injury, hasn't fought since March.