The 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday, and will feature the teams that finish 7 through 10 in the East and West standings, with a chance to earn the final two playoff spots in each conference on the line. Let’s break it down:

Play-In Tournament schedule (all games on Prime)

Tuesday

• East team TBD vs. East team TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET

• West 8th place (Clippers or Trail Blazers) vs. (7) Phoenix Suns, 10 p.m. ET

The winners advance to the playoffs as the No. 7 seeds; the losers will play again on Friday.

Wednesday

• Heat vs. Hornets, 7:30 p.m. ET

• (10) Golden State Warriors vs. West 9th place (Clippers or Trail Blazers), 10 p.m. ET

The winners will play again Friday for a shot at the No. 8 seeds; the losers will be eliminated.

Friday

• East team TBD vs. East team TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET

• West team TBD vs. West Team TBD, 10 p.m. ET

The winners advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seeds; the losers will be eliminated.

How the play-in tournament works

The current format of the play-in tournament was introduced during the 2020-21 season. Teams that finish 7 through 10 in the standings will participate in a two-round tournament for a shot at the playoffs as the seventh and eighth seeds.

From the NBA:

Each conference’s No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team. The winners secure the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The losers will get another chance to earn a playoff spot.

Each conference’s No. 9 team in the standings will host the No. 10 team. The winners will advance to the final stage of the Play-In Tournament. The losers are eliminated.

The losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchups will host the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchups. The winners secure the No. 8 seed in the NBA playoffs for its conference. The losing teams are eliminated.

The 2026 NBA Playoffs begin April 18.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Rory McIlroy never makes it easy, especially at Augusta National.

McIlroy’s six-stroke advantage, the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history was gone by the time he bogeyed the 12^th hole on Saturday, and while he stanched the bleeding with birdies at Nos. 14 and 15 to shoot 1-over 73, he has stiff competition for the title.

More: Masters leaderboard, scores, pairings, stories, videos

McIlroy shares the 54-hole lead with Cameron Young at 12-under 204, but the 90th Masters is wide open with 11 players within five strokes. That includes world No. 1 and two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, who shot a bogey-free 65 on Saturday to climb within four strokes, McIlroy’s Irish pal Shane Lowry, who made an ace at No. 6 and is three back, and Justin Rose, the three-time nearly man at the Masters who is back in the thick of it after losing to McIlroy in a sudden-death playoff a year ago. Then there are American Ryder Cup teammates Young, who shot 65, and Sam Burns, who posted 68 and sits one back. McIlroy let them all back into it by shooting the worst score of anyone in the top 43 in the field.

After McIlroy changed the complexion of the Masters with six birdies in his final seven holes on Friday to flip the script from a tightly-contested tournament to a six-stroke romp, the narrative shifted to talks of McIlroy pulling a Secretariat or Tiger Woods 1997-type cakewalk. But it was only halftime and McIlroy, who ranked 90^th out of 91 players in driving accuracy, couldn’t get by with the exquisite short game and hot putting that had carried him for two days. 

McIlroy started the third rounds with a soft bogey at the first and it wasn’t long before his lead was trimmed to two. He scrambled for pars and made the turn at even for the day and still in front but the back nine was marred by the type of mistakes Jack Nicklaus warned him against making if he wants to become the fourth player to repeat at the Masters – an exclusive club of Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. That included a double bogey at 11, a bogey a 12 and another at 17.

“This golf course has a way of, you know, when you’re not quite feeling it, you struggle. You have to dig deep, and I felt like I did that on the front nine and made a lot of good par saves,” McIlroy said.

The five-time major champion could have stepped on the neck of the field with a score in the 60s on Saturday and put his stamp on the 90^th Masters. He did that at the 2011 U.S. Open and 2014 PGA Championship when he won those majors by eight strokes. But that was a long time ago. One patron wondered to another after McIlroy was busy working hard for par at 13, “Is he intentionally playing this way to make it more interesting?” Probably not but it sure has infused drama into what could be a wild chase for this year’s Green Jacket. 

“I still have a great chance. I’m in the final group,” McIlroy said. “I have to look at the positives even though there isn’t that many to take today.”

And then McIlroy high-tailed to the practice range knowing he needs to be better in the final round if he’s going to go home in the Green Jacket again.

If not McIlroy, a host of players in the chasing pack, some who have won majors before like Jason Day, Rose, Lowry and, of course, Scheffler, are poised to add to their collection while Young, Burns and Haotong Li would like nothing more than to join the club as major winners.

The Masters went from McIlroy’s to lose to anyone’s game. As Justin Rose’s caddie Mark Fulcher told Rose’s wife Kate as they walked to scoring on Saturday, “We just have to play nicely tomorrow and who knows?”

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters 2026: Rory McIlroy’s six-shot lead is gone heading to Sunday

The Golden State Warriors have put together their teams through a variety of ways over the years, yet few approaches have proven as successful as the NBA draft. More than anything else, the most talented players to represent the Warriors have arrived in Golden State either by being selected directly in the annual draft or through trades executed on that same night.

The Golden State Warriors have taken many of their top stars through the draft, but have also landed a number of notable players over the years as well. From tiny colleges to blue blood programs, these alumni have contributed significantly to the team’s roster over the years. So, we chose to take a closer look at which Dubs came from which schools over the years.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at every player who has been drafted by the Warriors out of Baylor.

Ekpe Udoh – center

Draft year and position: first round (sixth pick, sixth overall), 2010 NBA Draft

Seasons at Baylor: one

Seasons played with Warriors: two

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Every Baylor player drafted by the Warriors

What a difference a week (and a change in playing surface) made for the Syracuse Orange, who returned home on Saturday afternoon and raced past the Virginia Cavaliers, 14-9, in another fast-paced game between the ACC rivals.

It wasn’t the highest-scoring affair ever played between the two, but if featured plenty of the traditional hallmarks of the rivalry: tons of up-and-down the field action, transition goals, and quick-strike answers.

After a very tightly-contested first half, ‘Cuse took control with three quick goals out of halftime that gave them a four-goal lead. UVA would fight back to within two later in the quarter, but the second half belonged to the Orange, who eventually emerged with their third straight win over UVA thanks to strong efforts on both ends of the field.

Jimmy McCool led the charge for SU, helping the team earn the bounce-back win with an individual bounce-back of his own after getting pulled from the North Carolina loss. Jimmy was the difference maker in this game, coming up with 16 massive saves and a .640 save percentage while holding one of the nation’s highest-scoring offenses to single-digits. Right from the start, he was seeing the ball well, reading and reacting with energy and quickness. He made an early statement that he was putting last week in the rear-view mirror and never looked back.

On the other end of the field, his counterpart, Jake Marek, came away with only three stops as the goalie battle played a huge role in determining the outcome of this one.

Also on the other end, Joey Spallina and the Orange offense had a nice comeback from a lackluster effort last weekend, with Joey leading the way with five points (two goals, three assists) as he moved to within one point of Mike Powell’s program record of 307 career points.

The offensive effort was solid all-around, as SU looked to attack in transition and showed good variety in the half field sets. They initiated from all over the field and got everyone involved. Nine different players scored a goal and 12 players recorded a point. Their movement was constant, they spun the ball around the turf and they exhibited a feel that they could attack from anywhere at any time.

Alongside McCool’s amazing performance between the pipes, it was the offense’s efficiency that helped clinch this win for ‘Cuse.

They fought hard, but the Orange had another struggle of a day on face-offs (10-of-27, .370), and subsequently lost the ground ball battle, 34-24. Following that progression even further, the Cavaliers held a plus-11 shot advantage in this game (46-35), including plus-eight in shots on goal (25-17).

This is, of course, related to the aforementioned performance of the goalies, but the ‘Cuse shooters deserve their flowers for this one. They were actually held to their fewest shots-on-goal of the season (17), but part of that is because they were hitting their spots so well, they didn’t need more shots. SU finished shooting 40 percent for the game, while UVA was held to under 20 percent.

Virginia kicked down the door first in this one, in what looked at the time to be a continuation of the defensive lapses from last week, when Chuck Kuczynski lost track of Ryan Duenkel and McCabe Millon found him for a wide open finish less than 40 seconds into the game. Thankfully, ‘Cuse nipped that in the bud right away.

The Orange answered on the man-up when Joey found Greg Elijah-Brown for a nice finish in tight space out in front of the crease. Joey grabbed a second straight assist less than 30 second later thanks to a caused turnover off UVA’s face-off win, allowing SU to take advantage of the unsettled situation with Wyatt Hottle drifting into open space on the wing for the finish.

Payton Anderson made it three in a row when he used a roll dodge to get underneath his defender, split a second defender and score out in front of goal. ‘Cuse would take a 3-1 lead into the second.

It got extended a few minutes in, when Kuczynski blocked McCabe Millon’s shot, took a nice outlet pass from Jordan Beck and ran all the way down to rip one home from just inside 15 yards, for another unsettled goal.

The Cavs answered with a transition goal of their own, with Brendan Millon getting some space after the subsequent face-off win and beating Jimmy to end SU’s four-goal run and make it 4-2 with 10:41 on the clock.

Less than two minutes later, Michael Leo made a gorgeous looping pass over the top of the Cavs’ defense, finding Hottle for his second of the game. Wyatt caught the ball up high and finished it high without bringing the ball down in between. A few minutes later, McCabe Millon found Truitt Sunderland for back-to-back goals within 27 seconds of each other to make it 5-4 ‘Cuse with a little over six minutes in the half.

The teams traded goals the rest of the quarter, starting with Luke Rhoa finishing off some nice, around-the-horn ball movement up top with a lefty hammer. Sunderland then found Ryan Colsey unmarked and cutting towards the crease from up top for an answer.

Joey got his third assist of the first half when Finn Thomson made a nice off-ball cut from X while being marked by a shortie, who lost track of him before Finn made him pay. Colsey then closed out the first half with his second goal as he shot around his defender to beat Jimmy and make it a tight, 7-6 Orange lead at the halftime break.

‘Cuse wasted little time in the third quarter taking control of the proceedings in the immediate aftermath of John Desko’s halftime induction into the Ring of Honor. Luke Rhoa nabbed his second when the Cavs completely lost track of him subbing in, and Finn hit him with a pass from X for the wide open finish.

A little over a minute later, the Orange got yet another transition goal after a McCool save in which Jimmy dropped an outlet pass right in the bucket to Jake Spallina, who hit Billy Dwan streaking up the field. Dwan face-dodged between defenders and finished slickly for a beauty of a goal. Six seconds later, Johnny Mullen finally cashed in one of his shot attempts to complete the three-goal spurt to open the third and give ‘Cuse their biggest lead to that point, 10-6.

Virginia had another quick answer when McCabe Millon scored 41 seconds later, but Luke Rhoa followed that a couple minutes after that with his hat trick goal after a little shake-n-bake move that led to another lefty rip, this time on the run down the right alley to quickly restore the four-goal advantage.

The Cavs did punch back with a pair of goals that made it as close as it would get, 11-9, with 3:43 left in the third.

But there was too much offense from the Orange, who followed with a beautiful team goal about a minute later. Joey drew a slide as he was trying to back down John Schroter, which he threw to Rhoa, who immediately nailed a diagonal pass to the crease to an open Hottle for his hat trick on an easy finish and a 12-9 win. Late in the third, Joey got his first goal of the game on a nice switch pass from Bogue Hahn, who found him wide open on the backside right at the end of the shot clock to make it 13-9 with a minute left in the quarter.

There was only one goal in the fourth, and it was scored by Joey for his second goal and fifth point with plenty of open field in transition on a nice twister finish that made it 14-9 with 2:45 remaining. He actually had a chance to tie Powell a little later with an assist, but Leo hit the crossbar on an open net that denied him a share of the record until (presumably) next weekend.

And that chance will come next Saturday, when the Orange host the Colgate Raiders for Senior Day in their final Dome game of the regular season, 5 PM on the ACC Network.

This is the UFC 327 live blog for Patricio Pitbull vs. Aaron Pico, the featherweight bout closing out Saturday’s preliminary card at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Pitbull stands at No. 10 at 145 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, with Pico a few spots behind at No. 15.

Pitbull (37-8), Bellator’s greatest champion, finally crosses paths with Pico (13-5), who long loomed as a threat to challenge Pitbull for featherweight gold. The stars never aligned for them to compete in the Bellator cage, but now having landed in the UFC, this highly anticipated fight has finally arrived.

Pitbull has disappointed in his two UFC fights, losing a listless decision to Yair Rodriguez in his debut and then outpointing Dan Ige to get back in the win column. The Brazilian veteran turns 39 in July, he could be set to pass the torch to Pico, who suffered his setback when his first UFC fight saw him brutally knocked out by Lerone Murphy. Soon we find out what Pitbull has left and whether Pico—one of MMA’s true get or get got fighters—has the makings of a future UFC title challenger.

Check out the UFC 327 live blog for Patricio Pitbull vs. Aaron Pico below.

Preamble

Kind of surreal to see Pitbull and Pico finally square off. And in the UFC, no less! It was destiny for this fight to happen, though, so glad we’re getting it.

Big question: Is Pitbull washed? I don’t think so. But… maybe?

Always tell me the odds

You know who thinks Pitbull is washed? The oddsmakers! The multiple-time Bellator champion is a +205 underdog, while Pico is a sizable favorite at -250 on FanDuel.

Round 1

Referee Keith Peterson oversees this contest.

Pico immediately circling, he has the clear speed advantage. Pitbull keeping his distance, flicking the occasional jab. Hard jab catches Pico coming in. Pitbull lands a right hand and Pico ducks in for a single leg. They’re back in the center of the octagon.

Pitbull lands a hard low kick, but slips, so there’s no follow-up. Pico throwing hard punches, Pitbull’s defense holding up so far. He catches Pico with another loud leg kick. Pico with a 1-2 down the middle, he changes levels and plants Pitbull on his back with a double-leg takedown. Pitbull up, but Pico quick to grab hold again and push him against the fence. Again, it’s not long before their back in the middle.

Pico with a well-timed combination. Nice low kick from Pico. They’re exchanging in close. Another right down the middle knocks Pico off balance. Pitbull briefly with a body lock, but Pico shrugs him off. Knees to the body in close by Pitbull. Competitive round, I have it for Pitbull because Pico didn’t get much offense off of those takedowns.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Pitbull.

Round 2

They trade jabs to start, Pitbull clips the lead leg again. Pico answers with a stiff 1-2, clean on Pitbull’s chin. That would have rocked almost any other featherweight. Pico getting aggressive… this could be really good or really bad for him. Counter combo by Pico capped off by a monster uppercut. Somehow, Pitbull not knocked down by that.

Takedown by Pico, Pitbull back up immediately with Pico wrestling him against the fence. Back to the striking. Pico letting the hands go now, mixing it up to the head and body. Good jab by Pitbull. Pico with a 1-2 down the middle and finally, Pitbull touches earth. He’s back up, but that’s a knockdown on the cards. Pitbull firing back but he has been outgunned in this round.

Pico picking Pitbull apart now. Near clash of heads there, but Pico is so accurate and he lands several crisp punches. Pitbull must be on autopilot because it feels like any of these punches could have KO’d him. Huge round for Pico.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-8, Pico. Overall, 19-18 Pico.

Round 3

Tyson Fury marked his return to the heavyweight mix with a composed points win over Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before immediately turning ringside to call out long-time rival Anthony Joshua.

The 37-year-old Briton – out of his latest retirement after 15 months – was far from Fury in full flow, but had enough ring IQ and technical control to outbox Makhmudov across 12 largely one-sided rounds.

Fury had to be watchful at times as Makhmudov did land occasional overhand rights, but the Russian was largely one-dimensional as Fury took a wide decision with scorecards of 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109.

But before the scores were even read out, Fury invited Joshua into the ring, but his rival refused.

“I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me next. Do you accept?” Fury said after more attempts to get Joshua into the ring failed.

Joshua, who appeared to film much of Saturday’s fight on his phone at ringside, initially seemed reluctant to engage, before replying: “I punched you up when we were kids and I’ll punch you up again.

“You aren’t going to tell me what to do, I’ve been chasing you for 10 years.

“I’m the boss, you work for me. I’m the landlord. You work for me.”

Fury responded: “You [Anthony Joshua] are next. You are getting knocked out. Believe it.”

A bout that should have happened in both men’s primes, it now lingers as boxing’s great what-if – but it appears it may finally be made a reality.

In his first fight since successive defeats to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, Fury moves to 35 wins, two losses and one draw.

For Makhmudov, 36, it was a third defeat in 24 fights.

• ‘Optimal performance’ – Haye & Lewis react to Fury win
• Bloodied Benn cruises to points win over Prograis
• Chisora suggests retirement U-turn for Wilder rematch

Will we finally see Fury v Joshua?

Fury and Joshua – both two-time world champions – have carried British boxing on the global stage for more than a decade, yet despite years of negotiations and false starts, the fight has never materialised.

Now, though, this feels like their most significant breakthrough yet.

“I have been at this table with him many times. In my heart, I’d fight Fury tomorrow, especially after watching that. There is not a problem fighting him,” Joshua told Netflix.

“I am not here to get clout. I am here to fight. The contract will be sent over, we will go through the nitty gritty, and you will probably see us in the ring next, more than likely.”

Joshua, 36, beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in December, before suffering a tragic car crash in Nigeria later in the month which claimed the lives of his two friends.

“I was in a serious incident maybe four months ago,” he added. “I need to really check out what is going on with my return to the ring.

“But I’m here, keeping my eye on the game. I am not ducking anyone, there are just things in my life I need to tend to.”

Most fans argue the moment has passed. Both fighters are now in their late thirties and no longer at their physical peak, but the commercial pull remains enormous.

For all the focus on Joshua, Usyk still looms in the background as a potential sporting detour for Fury, although there is limited appetite for a third fight after Usyk’s dominance across their first two meetings.

Another route could lead Fury towards the winner of the 9 May clash between WBO world champion Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois.

For now, though, Fury has done what he needed. He returned and he won comfortably.

And if the showdown with Joshua truly is next, British boxing may finally get the fight it has spent a generation waiting for.

A comfortable comeback – how did Fury look?

A poignant and emotional start to Fury’s ring walk saw a tribute to boxing legend Ricky Hatton, with Blue Moon playing in his honour following his death in September.

The atmosphere in north London was then charged by the familiar Fury theatre – swagger, showmanship and singing – with fireworks erupting over the stadium as he danced to a medley before sprinting to the ring.

The bout was broadcast globally on Netflix to its 325 million subscribers, landing just hours before the release of At Home with the Furys season two.

Fury – who briefly retired after the Usyk losses – had not fought in Britain since December 2022, when he stopped Derek Chisora at this venue to retain the WBC title.

With 16 of his 19 knockouts inside three rounds, Makhmudov carried early danger on paper and landed an overhand right on Tyson Fury’s ear in the opening round.

But Fury quickly found rhythm, picking apart Makhmudov’s high guard and limited movement with counters, switching between southpaw and orthodox.

“He’s tiring already. Take your time,” Fury’s trainer SugarHill Steward told him.

One pre-fight concern had been complacency – Fury has previously struggled with awkward underdogs – but despite Makhmudov connecting again with a looping right in the fourth, Fury’s ring savviness, while a bit rusty, was proving too much.

Makhmudov’s corner urged him to beat Fury to the jab, while Fury’s team praised him for boxing “smart”.

Despite pre-fight talk of sluggish ticket sales, the 62,000-capacity stadium looked close to full, though whether through strong sales or late complimentary distribution was unclear.

Fury upped the tempo in the latter rounds, varying his attack and threading in several uppercuts, but Makhmudov absorbed them without ever really being shaken.

Whether the power that once dropped Deontay Wilder multiple times has waned, or Makhmudov simply showed a stubborn chin under sustained pressure, Fury couldn’t find the breakthrough.

Sensing that a stoppage was unlikely, sections of the crowd began drifting out before the final bell. Fury closed strongly, finishing the fight firmly on top.

After the long lay-off, his corner appeared content simply to bank the rounds and re-establish rhythm rather than chase the finish.

• Boxing schedule and results 2026
• Watch every Born to Brawl episode

More boxing from the BBC

• Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport

Former world heavyweight champion David Haye described Tyson Fury’s win over Arslanbek Makhmudov in his comeback fight as an “optimal performance”.

Fury returned to the ring after a 15-month absence to secure a unanimous decision victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It was not a vintage display, but Haye believed it was a good return considering the ring rust Fury could have been dealing with.

“Fury did exactly what he needed to do,” Haye told Netflix.

“That was the optimal performance for him. If he could pick the type of performance to put forward, it would be exactly that.

“He took all his tools out of the box and polished them up.”

Retired multiple weight world champion Andre Ward agreed with Haye’s assessment, downplaying suggestions was a soft reintroduction for Fury.

“Some will say Makhmudov is limited, but he’s good enough,” Ward said.

“You can’t take away from what you’ve seen from Tyson Fury offensively and defensively tonight.”

Four-time world champion Carl Froch said Fury “boxed well” and taking zero damage will be a positive for the 37-year-old.

“He’s been out the ring for [nearly] 16 months and he put in a 12-round performance at a good pace,” Froch said.

“The first couple of rounds were close, but then he took over against a dangerous puncher.

“He got hit with a couple of little shots, but you can see by his face he’s not marked up.”

• Fury dominates Makhmudov and calls out Joshua next
• Bloodied Benn cruises to points win over Prograis
• Chisora suggests retirement U-turn for Wilder rematch

Joshua rates Fury’s comeback win

Fury’s British rival Anthony Joshua was ringside for the fight, and said he believes he would be “hard work” for ‘the Gypsy King’ if they were to fight.

“I like his fighting style, I think he is good, but I don’t think he will be able to cope with me,” Joshua said post-fight.

“Based off tonight, It would be hard work for him.”

Fury called for a bout against long-time rival Joshua after Saturday’s victory.

At ringside, Fury pushed Joshua for a “yes or no” answer as to whether the pair would be facing each other next – but Joshua refused to commit.

Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis said he “didn’t feel too good” about the scenario, believing Joshua is not ready to make a decision after the death of his two close friends in a car crash in December.

“I think it’s too soon for Anthony Joshua right now,” Lewis said.

“He just went through a traumatic thing, that’s why he doesn’t want to make any decisions.

“I think they’re forcing him to make a decision when he’s not ready to make that decision.”

• Boxing schedule and results 2026
• Watch every Born to Brawl episode

More boxing from the BBC

• Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport

A bloodied Conor Benn continued his march towards a world title shot with a points victory over a faded Regis Prograis at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 29-year-old Briton had to contend with cuts above both eyes from head clashes midway through the fight, but used his youth, energy and size to edge a messy but hard-fought contest.

Former world champion Prograis, 37, landed some clean shots of his own but the American struggled for rhythm as the bout progressed, with all three judges awarding it 98-92 to Benn.

The contest was staged at a catchweight of 10st 12lb (69kg), 3lb above the welterweight limit where Benn now hopes to target a world title.

It was Benn’s first outing since his much-publicised two fights with Chris Eubank Jr last year, and since parting ways with lifelong promoter Matchroom, having signed a high-profile one-fight deal with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing outfit in February.

• Chisora suggests retirement U-turn for Wilder rematch
• Fury dominates Makhmudov and calls out Joshua next
• ‘Optimal performance’ – Haye & Lewis react to Fury win

Benn outworks a faded Prograis

Returning to the venue of his two fights with bitter rival Eubank Jr – both contested at middleweight – Benn was met with an emotional reception as he walked to the ring, underlining his status as one of British boxing’s most polarising figures.

Jeers and cheers echoed around the stadium as ‘The Destroyer’, accompanied by his legendary father Nigel, shadowboxed his way to the ring to a string orchestra.

Benn’s career was halted for two-and-a-half years after he failed a drug tests in 2022. Although he was later cleared by an anti-doping panel and denies any wrongdoing, questions continue to linger among sections of critics.

When the action began, Benn rocked Prograis with a right hand in the closing seconds of the first round, briefly buckling the American’s legs.

Prograis was rumoured to be carrying an injury into the fight and did not appear to move fluidly, his back leg looking somewhat stiff at times.

He leaned on his vast experience and remained elusive, but struggled to land clean counters as Benn consistently outworked him in the early exchanges.

A clash of heads in the fourth round caused a small cut above Benn’s right eye. He responded with uppercuts and body shots on the inside, while southpaw Prograis shook his head and replied with a straight left.

Prograis has spent much of his career campaigning at light-welterweight, 10lb lighter than this contest.

Another clash of heads in the sixth opened up a cut above Benn’s left eye. Prograis landed a straight left in the seventh, which wobbled Benn momentarily, before the Essex fighter responded with a series of hooks on the inside.

Benn’s former promoter Eddie Hearn, watching from the front row after their bitter split, looked on as the contest drifted increasingly towards the scorecards.

What next for polarising Benn?

Benn’s surprise move away Hearn – who had staunchly defended him throughout his legal battles – drew accusations of disloyalty from some quarters, even if it reportedly earned the fighter a staggering £11m.

Yet commercially, Benn’s drawing power remains undeniable. In the domestic market he is arguably the biggest active attraction behind only Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

Backed by UFC chief White and Saudi Arabian investment, Zuffa Boxing has a disruptive agenda. White has spoken openly about sidelining the traditional sanctioning bodies – the WBO, WBC, IBF and WBA – in favour of establishing the Zuffa belt as the sport’s premier title alongside the Saudi-owned Ring Magazine championship.

Whether Benn will remain aligned with White’s new venture or eventually returns to the traditional promotional structure remains unclear, with this contest understood to have been part of a one-fight agreement.

While Benn’s ambition to emulate his father by becoming a world champion remains unchanged, how he pursues that goal may now define the next phase of his career.

Benn has repeatedly called out unpredictable WBC champion Ryan Garcia – a fight that would probably be the most lucrative option available.

However, with Garcia holding one of boxing’s traditional world titles, staging that contest under the Zuffa banner would appear unlikely under the promotion’s current vision of operating outside the sanctioning-body system.

Assessing Benn’s commercial pull on the back of this event is also difficult. Prograis is past his peak and was not viewed by many as a particularly credible opponent.

• Boxing schedule and results 2026
• Watch every Born to Brawl episode

More boxing from the BBC

• Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport

British heavyweight Derek Chisora has hinted at a return to boxing despite planning to retire after his loss to Deontay Wilder.

Chisora, 42, suffered a points defeat by Wilder in a wild heavyweight contest last Saturday, with the Brit dropped in the eighth round and sent through the ropes.

Before the bout, Chisora said it would be his final fight – however, he hesitated to confirm this decision in the ring afterwards.

Now, Chisora is pushing for a rematch, saying he was “upset” with the decision.

“I’m very upset with the scoring,” Chisora told TalkSport before Tyson Fury’s return to the ring against Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

“The two knockdowns that were given were pushes. It was an embarrassment. I’m not happy with that.

“The whole thing was a shambles, on my side and his side as well.

“I want to get the rematch.”

Chisora went on to confirm that he is only interested in a rematch with his most recent rival.

• Fury dominates Makhmudov and calls out Joshua next
• ‘Optimal performance’ – Haye & Lewis react to Fury win
• Bloodied Benn cruises to points win over Prograis

Remarkably, that fight was the 50th bout of both men’s careers.

It was a 14th career defeat for Chisora, and marked a 45th career win for Wilder.

Having made his professional debut in February 2007, Chisora was handed his first career loss by Fury in July 2011 – and has gone on to lose to his British rival another two times.

With 23 career knockouts, Chisora is also a two-time world title challenger, and has shared a ring with the likes of Vitali Klitschko, David Haye and Oleksandr Usyk.

Chisora wore a T-shirt to Fury v Makhmudov with a strongly-worded slogan that also suggested he would not be retiring.

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