Joseph Benavidez-Zach Makovsky bout added to UFC 196

          • Brett OkamotoJan 7, 2016, 04:18 PM ET
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              Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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          A flyweight fight between Joseph Benavidez and Zach Makovsky has been added to UFC 196 on Feb. 6 in Las Vegas.

          UFC officials confirmed the bout to Las Vegas Review-Journal on Thursday. The UFC 196 pay-per-view event will take place MGM Grand Garden Arena and is headlined by a heavyweight title fight between Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez.

          Benavidez (23-4) is the universally ranked No. 2 flyweight in the world. The 31-year-old's only losses have come to two opponents: reigning flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.

          A member of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California, Benavidez is on a four-fight win streak. He is 10-2 overall in the UFC, with four finishes. His most recent victory came via unanimous decision against former title challenger Ali Bagautinov in October.

          Makovsky (19-6) is a former Bellator MMA bantamweight champion with a 3-2 mark in the UFC. He hasn't fought since a narrow decision loss to John Dodson at UFC 187 in May.