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UFC White House event set to have ‘six to seven fights’ despite Donald Trump claim

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There may end up being just six or seven fights at the White House this summer, despite Donald Trump claiming “eight or nine championship” bouts are in the UFC’s plans for 14 June.

That is the provisional date for an unprecedented fight card, which would mark a unique celebration of the US president’s 80th birthday and 250 years of his nation’s existence

And Mr Trump suggested in December: “They’re gonna have eight or nine championship fights, the biggest fights they’ve ever had. Every one’s a championship fight, and everyone’s a legendary type of fighter.

“[UFC president Dana White] is actually holding back fights right now, for six months, so he can do it for [14] June.”

But according to Ari Emanuel – the CEO of the UFC’s ownership group, TKO – that might have been an optimistic prediction by Mr Trump, or changes might have been made since then.

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“Dana’s working on it right now,” Emanuel said on The Pat McAfee Show. “There’s going to be, approximately, six to seven fights, 14 June.

“He hasn’t said to us what the card is gonna be, but I know they’re working pretty hard at it right now […] It’s gonna be CBS, Paramount+. I mean, I don’t know who is not watching that fight [card].”

Mr Trump had also said, “I think the arena’s gonna be 5,000 or 6,000 seats, right in front of the front door of the White House, and 100,000 people in the back, where they’re putting up eight or 10 very big screens.”

US president Donald Trump (left) with Ari Emanuel in 2016
US president Donald Trump (left) with Ari Emanuel in 2016 (Getty Images)

But Emanuel suggested: “At the White House, I think it’s 3,000-4,000 [attendees], and then there will be other areas [to watch the fights].”

UFC president White has said the Octagon will be built on the South Lawn, and he previously hinted at “snipers” while discussing security measures. Furthermore, there will be no ticket sales, per TKO president Mark Shapiro.

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Currently, no regular UFC champions are scheduled to defend their titles at any upcoming events. On 7 March, Max Holloway will defend the “Baddest Motherf*****” belt against Charles Oliveira, but none of the official, divisional titles are linked to scheduled fights.

The only title bout so far this year have seen Alexander Volkanovski retain his featherweight belt against Diego Lopes and Justin Gaethje win the interim lightweight strap against Paddy Pimblett. Kayla Harrison was due to defend her bantamweight title against Amanda Nunes in January, but the champion suffered an injury that derailed the fight.

Jon Jones and Conor McGregor are among the former champions to have called for a spot on the White House card, but White has been coy on their involvement. White suggested that Jones, who retired last summer after a career full of legal troubles and failed drug tests, might not be reliable, while McGregor has had his own legal issues since his last fight five years ago.

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NFL news: Seahawks fans have raucous Super Bowl celebration

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Seattle Seahawks fans took to the streets near Lumen Field to celebrate the team’s second Super Bowl championship win on Sunday. The Seahawks beat the New England Patriots, 29-13.

Seahawks fans were spotted climbing light poles, lighting fireworks, waving flags and causing other kinds of pandemonium in Seattle. Some revelers were even seen climbing the Pioneer Square pergola, which prompted a response from police on social media.

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Seahawks fan holds a sign

Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate near Lumen Field after their team won Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

A Seahawks fan climbs a light pole

A person climbs a light pole as Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate near Lumen Field after their team won Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

“This one is for the people who are on the pergola. Why? Please stop,” police wrote on X.

Fans will have another chance to revel in the team’s Super Bowl win during the parade. The championship celebration will take place on Wednesday, according to Seattle Councilmember Rob Saka. It will start in the stadium district and end at Seattle center.

Seattle used a dominant defensive performance to buoy their win over New England. The Seahawks forced Drake Maye to turn the ball over three times and they sacked him six.

DRAKE MAYE WANTS TO ‘GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND REDO IT’ AFTER PATRIOTS’ SUPER BOWL LX DISASTER

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Fans kiss in Seattle

People kiss as Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate in the Pioneer Square neighborhood after their team won Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

Seahawks fans in Pioneer Square

Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate in Pioneer Square after the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LX, in Seattle, Washington, on Feb. 8, 2026. (Jason Redmond / AFP via Getty Images)

“We never waver, man. We believe in each other. We love each other, and now we’re world champions,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said.

Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense added a defensive touchdown to their total when Uchenna Nwosu returned an interception for a touchdown.

Seahawks fan crack open a beer

Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate atop a vehicle in the Pioneer Square neighborhood after their team won Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

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“We went through a lot, but we believed,” Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon said. “All of you all doubters out there who said all that other stuff, you all don’t know what’s going on in this building. We’re one of one over here.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Fresh off jolting rival, No. 14 UNC turns attention to Miami

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NCAA Basketball: Duke at North CarolinaFeb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) celebrates with teammates after the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

If North Carolina coach Hubert Davis is hyped, imagine what his players must be feeling.

The 14th-ranked Tar Heels (19-4, 7-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) are set to visit Miami (18-5, 7-3) for a conference tilt on Tuesday night. The game could represent an emotional challenge for North Carolina, as the Tar Heels are coming off a thrilling 71-68 win over fourth-ranked Duke on Saturday night.

“I’m still a little bit numb,” Davis said after the dramatic home win over North Carolina’s biggest rival.

As for the Hurricanes, they have had some extreme highs and lows in recent years, reaching the NCAA Final Four for the first time in program history in 2023 before suffering through two straight losing seasons, including an embarrassing 7-24 record in 2024-25.

Jai Lucas — in his first season as a head coach — has turned around the Hurricanes. And Lucas, 37, knows the Tar Heels well because he was a Duke assistant/associate head coach for the past three seasons.

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The Hurricanes are not deep — they got just seven bench points in their most recent game, a 74-68 win at Boston College on Saturday. Miami also is last in the ACC in 3-point-percentage defense (35.3) and just 12th in 3-point shooting on offense (34.2).

But what the Hurricanes do well is score inside, which is why they lead the ACC in field-goal percentage (51.1).

“That’s how we’re built,” Lucas said. “We have a formula of points in the paint. We’re big. We’re physical. We have to fight for our identity.”

Miami, which is 12-2 at home, starts an imposing front line of 6-foot-11, 265-pound Ernest Udeh Jr. along with Malik Reneau (6-9, 235) and Shelton Henderson (6-6, 240). Even shooting guard Dante Allen looks like a linebacker at 6-4, 220.

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The fifth starter is point guard Tre Donaldson, who plays bigger than his listed size (6-2, 195). Donaldson is second on Miami in scoring (15.9) and ranks fourth in the ACC in assists (6.2). Donaldson typically closes strong, which was evident on Saturday as he scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half.

Donaldson also does a great job of getting the ball to Reneau, who ranks fifth in the ACC in scoring (20.0), sixth in field-goal percentage (56.5) and 17th in rebounding (6.5). Reneau is a master of scoring in the paint, using glass often.

Udeh ranks second in the ACC in rebounding (9.6).

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Henderson ranks 19th in scoring (14.5). He’s also been efficient, ranking third in field-goal percentage (61.5).

Allen, a freshman averaging 6.6 points, has stepped in for starter Tru Washington, who has been out due to personal reasons.

Meanwhile, the Tar Heels are big, too — or at least tall — as they are led by Caleb Wilson (6-10, 215) and Henri Veesaar (7-0, 225).

Wilson ranks fourth in the ACC in scoring (20.2) and field-goal percentage (58.5) and third in rebounding (9.6). Veesaar is 10th in scoring (16.6), fifth in rebounds and second in field-goal percentage (62.6).

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North Carolina’s only other double-figure scorer is Seth Trimble (14.2). Trimble, as every basketball fan in North Carolina knows, hit the last-second 3-pointer to beat Duke on Saturday.

“It’s special,” Trimble said of his shot. “I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life.”

–Field Level Media

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Ronaldo return in focus as Al-Nassr chase Asian Champions League progress | Football News

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Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to win a major trophy since arriving in Saudi Arabia, and Al-Nassr will be hoping the 41-year-old Portuguese star returns to action on Wednesday to help the Riyadh club move closer to silverware.


Al-Nassr takes on Arkadag of Turkmenistan with a place in the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League Two on the line.


Ronaldo hasn’t played any part in Al-Nassr’s most recent two games in the Saudi Pro League amid reports he was unhappy with the way the club is being funded, particularly after watching rival Al-Hilal sign Karim Benzema in last month’s transfer window.

 

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Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli are all majority owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.


In a statement, the SPL outlined that no player is bigger than the club or the league.


“The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules,” the league said. “Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al-Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition. But no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club.” 
Despite the absence of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Al-Nassr beat reigning champion Al-Ittihad 2-0 on Friday.


Ittihad is the only one of three Saudi teams in the top-tier AFC Champions League Elite not to have secured a place in the round of 16, with two group games remaining.

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Despite losing star striker Karim Benzema last week to Al-Hilal, which has a history of making high-profile signings, including Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, Ittihad will advance to the next round if it defeats Al-Gharafa of Qatar on Tuesday.


The top eight in each of the tournament’s two 12-team groups – divided geographically into East and West Asia – qualify for the second round.


Al-Hilal leads the western zone and is the only team with a perfect record of six wins from six, meaning coach Simone Inzaghi can choose to rest players. Al-Ahli, which won its first Champions League title in May, is also guaranteed a spot in the knockout stage.


In the eastern zone, only Vissel Kobe has clinched qualification, but Japan will have three teams in the round of 16 if both Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Machida Zelvia win this week.

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The pressure is on China’s three representatives, which occupy the bottom three positions.


Chinese champion Shanghai Port is in last place and on the verge of being ousted from the tournament. Wins for Chengdu Rongcheng and Shanghai Shenhua would keep both teams in contention.

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Heavyweight legend said Mike Tyson ducked him: “I made fighters turn their backs and run”

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Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield were repeatedly accused of ducking the same former world champion, who eventually faced the latter in a long-awaited heavyweight clash.

Before that, Tyson and Holyfield were largely considered to be on a collision course, especially after ‘The Real Deal’ dethroned James ‘Buster’ Douglas in 1990.

Douglas had caused an almighty upset by knocking Tyson out, via a 10th-round finish earlier that year, to become the unified world heavyweight champion.

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‘Iron Mike’, however, was able to swiftly bounce back with two first-round stoppages, while Holyfield became a two-weight world champion following his third-round finish over Douglas.

The former cruiserweight king was then ordered to defend his titles against Tyson, only for a lucrative battle with George Foreman to take priority instead.

Their collision in 1991 finally materialised after Foreman, who ended his decade-long retirement in 1987, had spent the past few years calling out both Holyfield and Tyson.

In the end, Holyfield came away with a unanimous decision victory, before losing to Riddick Bowe a year and a half later, while Tyson never locked horns with ‘Big George’.

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According to Foreman, whose interview around that time has been shared by Combat Highlights, the two American heavyweights wanted no part of him whatsoever.

“I’m not fighting Mike Tyson [and] I’m not fighting Evander Holyfield, because they are afraid of me. Let’s get that straight.

“They’re going to fight each other, because they’re small guys and they don’t want to fight Big George.

“I’ve gotten into the ring with guys and I’ve seen them turn their back, and run; I mean literally turn their backs on me and run.”

Holyfield went on to complete his iconic trilogy with Bowe and secure a sizable upset victory against Tyson, stopping him in the 11th round of their first encounter in 1996.

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Inside the driver setups powering two Phoenix Open contenders

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Milano Cortina 2026 organizers stumped by broken medals

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Perhaps Olympic officials should warn athletes to handle their Milano Cortina 2026 medals with caution.

There have been several cases of medals breaking after coming off their ribbons early in the Winter Olympics, and organizers aren’t quite sure why.

“We are fully aware of the situation, and as you saw yourselves, the picture. We are looking (to figure) out exactly what the problem is,” Milano Cortina 2026 chief Games operations officer Andrea Francisi said through a translator at an IOC press conference on Monday.

“We’re going to pay particular attention to the medals and obviously this is something that everything (should) be perfect when the medal is handed over because this is probably one of the most important moments for the athletes.”

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Women’s downhill champ Breezy Johnson of the U.S. told reporters her gold medal broke when she was jumping up and down to celebrate.

American figure skater Alysa Liu posted a video on social media of her medal having broken off the ribbon after the team event.

Medals have proven to be fragile at past Olympics, too.

The BBC reported last year that 220 requests had been made to replace medals won at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Athletes have complained of tarnishing with those medals.

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No. 15 Vanderbilt on rebound against Auburn after surprising loss

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NCAA Basketball: Oklahoma at VanderbiltFeb 7, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Tanner (3) and Oklahoma Sooners guard Dayton Forsythe (7) fight for the loose ball during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Searching for a bounce-back performance, No. 15 Vanderbilt will look for its first victory at Auburn in a decade when the Southeastern Conference opponents meet on Tuesday.

Vanderbilt (19-4, 6-4 SEC) had its three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday by lowly Oklahoma, which had lost its last nine games. The Commodores never led in the surprising home loss and trailed by 15 with 2:20 left before rallying in a 92-91 setback.

Vanderbilt still is off to its best 23-game start since 2007-08 (also 19-4 before reaching 24-4), but head coach Mark Byington knows his team can’t afford a slide in conference play.

“In this high level of sports, you get what you deserve, and we did not play well,” Byington said. “We obviously didn’t play well, and we weren’t ready to play. … We’ve got to go back and figure it out and learn from it and we’ve got to fix some things. We can’t ever do this again.”

The Commodores, who haven’t won at Auburn since Feb. 13, 2016, are led by breakout sophomore Tyler Tanner. After averaging 5.7 points per game in a reserve role as a freshman, Tanner ranks fifth in the SEC with 18.6 points per game.

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Tanner has shouldered the load of Vanderbilt’s injured backcourt, as second-leading scorer Duke Miles (16.6 ppg) has missed the last three games with a knee injury and Frankie Collins (7.8 points, 4.7 assists per contest) hasn’t played since Dec. 17 as he also deals with an injured knee.

“I’m just proud of his resiliency,” Byington said of Tanner, who poured in a career-high 37 points against Oklahoma, 15 in the final two minutes. “He was fighting and playing as hard as he could, and he almost got us back into it.”

Byington noted that Miles and Collins don’t have timetables for returns, but they could be back before the end of the regular season.

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Auburn (14-9, 5-5), meanwhile, is out to avoid its first set of consecutive home losses since February 2021. A year removed from their second Final Four appearance in program history, the Tigers are 11th in the SEC standings with a month remaining in the regular season.

First-year head coach Steven Pearl’s team held a 10-point first-half lead against rival Alabama on Saturday, before allowing 59 points after halftime in a 96-92 home loss. Auburn won’t have much time to lick its wounds with another Quad 1 opportunity around the corner.

“You’ve got to have a short memory because you’ve got such a quick turnaround on Tuesday against another really good offensive team,” Pearl said. “Vanderbilt runs a ton of offensive sets, so it’s going to be really hard to break that down to show the guys. I’ve got to do a good job of really identifying areas that we got exposed.”

Vanderbilt ranks 12th in the nation with 88.9 points per game, while Auburn allows 78.4 ppg — third most in the SEC.

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Hoping to steer the Tigers away from the NCAA Tournament bubble has been Keyshawn Hall, who ranks second in the conference at 21 points per game. Playing on his fourth team in four years, Hall is averaging 23.8 points across the last five outings.

–Field Level Media

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T20 World Cup: Why is Ian Bishop sacred of England team? | Cricket News

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T20 World Cup: Why is Ian Bishop sacred of England team?
Team India (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop warned that England are one of the most dangerous teams in the T20 World Cup because of their powerful batting and smart bowling options. Speaking on JioStar’s show, he said, “We’ve seen across franchise cricket that experience counts for a lot. And sometimes, we’re still trying to work out whether this is an old man’s game or a young man’s game. England are one of the teams that scare me… because they’ve got so much power. Their philosophy, starting with Harry Brook, is very similar, boundary and six-hunting quite often.”

Why is Ahmedabad likely to be the sporting capital of India? | Bombay Sport Exchange

Bishop also praised England’s bowling attack and their ability to use the field cleverly. He added, “Jofra Archer will bring some much-needed cutting edge to that England line-up… Adil Rashid… is still playing very, very well. Jacob Bethell is another one who can throw his name into the mix. They are scoring, utilising areas that traditionally have not yielded runs for many teams, which is part of why they scare me.”England showed that strength in a close four-run win over Nepal in Mumbai. Jacob Bethell and captain Harry Brook shared a key partnership and scored half-centuries, helping England reach 184 runs. Jos Buttler also climbed the list of top T20 World Cup run-scorers.Nepal chased bravely, with Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee putting pressure on England. However, England’s bowlers took crucial wickets at the right time, and despite a late push from Lokesh Bam, Nepal fell just short, finishing on 180/6.

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Scottie Scheffler’s dominance reminds Tour winner of Tiger Woods

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Josh Schrock

Josh Schrock is a writer and reporter for Golf.com. Before joining GOLF, Josh was the Chicago Bears insider for NBC Sports Chicago. He previously covered the 49ers and Warriors for NBC Sports Bay Area. A native Oregonian and UO alum, Josh spends his free time hiking with his wife and dog, thinking of how the Ducks will break his heart again, and trying to become semi-proficient at chipping. A true romantic for golf, Josh will never stop trying to break 90 and never lose faith that Rory McIlroy’s major drought will end (updated: he did it). Josh Schrock can be reached at josh.schrock@golf.com.

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David Benavidez admits he won’t be satisfied until he beats his ‘arch nemesis’

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David Benavidez wants nothing more than to fight the best and, with his star power growing and the WBC Light-Heavyweight World title around his waist, he is becoming hard to ignore.

‘El Monstro’ is set to move up in weight again this summer, facing Gilberto Ramirez for the WBO and WBA belts at cruiserweight. He is then planning to drop back down to 175lbs to face Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. Both Russians have expressed their interest in fighting with the 29-year-old pressure fighter.

Despite big main events on the horizon, Benavidez has still failed to secure the signature of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, and that is something that will always irk him.

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Asked on The Danza Project if he felt not fighting Alvarez would leave a hole in his career, Benavidez said yes.

“100%. Always in boxing, or whatever sport, everybody has their arch nemesis. Canelo is my arch nemesis, basically. That’s exactly how it’d be. It’d be an unfortunate moment that never happened in boxing. If it doesn’t happen, there’s really nothing I can do about it.”

Benavidez – who has campaigned for the fight for a number of years now – then admitted that the delay has already seen it lose some appeal, given Alvarez’s loss to Terence Crawford last year.

“[Crawford] took a lot away from it. At the time Crawford beat him, Canelo was basically looking invincible. If I could’ve got in there, beat him, it would’ve been more of an impact. Now that Crawford came in and beat him, you don’t know what Canelo is gonna show up – if he’s gonna be extremely prepared or he doesn’t really seem like he’s hungry.”

Despite the consistent calls from both fans and Benavidez to make the fight happen, Canelo has demonstrated that he will make his own decisions in the sport. With a September return date locked in, and a shot at one of his previous super-middleweight world titles likely, it’s anybody’s guess whether or not he will venture back up to light-heavyweight again.

If he does so, he has made it clear that a rematch with Dmitry Bivol is higher on his list than facing Benavidez.

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