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On the Fourth of July, America usually rolls out flags, fireworks, and enough grilled meat to make a cardiologist stare into the middle distance. In the fight game, though, one image fits the holiday better than the rest: Don Frye walking forward like the national anthem grew a mustache and decided to throw hands. Frye’s place in MMA history is secure because he arrived in the UFC in 1996, won UFC 8, then came back and won Ultimate Ultimate 96, giving him two tournament titles in the same year and instant status as one of the sport’s defining early names.…

By Mike Eckel July 04, 2026 In the years before Russia’s all-out war on Ukraine, Kostyantynivka was better known as a city of 66,000 with a thriving glassmaking industry, a strategic location at the crossroads of two major highways, and a busy railway junction. These days, Kostyantynivka is a crater-pocked wasteland of smoldering rubble leveled by drones, artillery, and, in recent weeks, devastating Russian glide bombs. Russian forces are hell-bent on capturing the city, an important part of what’s known as the “fortress belt” — a major line of Ukrainian defenses for the eastern region of Donetsk. With small pockets…

Michael Chandler appears ready to make a move up to 170 pounds.Earlier this week, Chandler shocked fight fans by sharing a massive weight gain from his lightweight clash with Mauricio Ruffy at UFC White House last month. Chandler lost that fight — which was his fourth defeat in a row — but the 40-year-old veteran still plans on continuing his career with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). After all, Chandler is still one of the most exciting fighters on the UFC roster today and someone who always comes into fight night in incredible shape.Assuming Chandler is welcome back inside of the…

Saronic on July 2, 2026 announced the launch of its first Mirage, a 52-ft. (16-meter) dual-use Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) that joins the 24-ft. (7-meter) Corsair and 180-ft. (55-meter) Marauder as the third flagship platform in Saronic’s growing fleet, and is the latest milestone in a production model delivering autonomous vessels at speed and scale. Saronic Technologies press release Mirage went from initial design to launch in under a year, and now begins on-water trials at the company’s privately funded test facility in Galveston, Texas, with the next hull already on the production line at the company’s Austin headquarters. “We…

The revival of territorial disputes and the de-thawing of conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Guyana, Taiwan, and the Korean Peninsula have drifted closer to armed conflict in recent years due to changes in the global geopolitical order and the emboldening effect created by the coalescence of the Neo-Authoritarian Bloc (NAB) and its apparent military successes to date. I use the term NAB to refer to the collective of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Belarus, Venezuela, and Myanmar. As I argued in 2023, this bloc has altered the trajectory of global conflicts, emboldened revisionism and opportunistic territorial aggression, and has established…

Martial arts training is a learning experience, to say the least. Each day you spend in the dojo, you are bombarded with new movements, new techniques, and new strategies. The best way to rise to the challenge of mastering all that material is to learn from the mistakes of those who came before you. In other words, if you can avoid the pitfalls that have trapped other martial artists, you will be that much further ahead for your next promotion test or sparring match. The mistakes outlined in this post were gleaned from my 20 years as a martial artist and…

Now that flip-flop season is in full swing, you might be giving your blender a stiff daily workout. Done right, smoothies will not only help you combat the heat; they will also flood your body with the nutrients you need to bounce back from training or to jump start your day. That’s why they have become heroes for so many gym bros. Smoothies, or protein shakes if that is your lexicon of choice, are one of the easiest and most versatile things you can make. But certain missteps can quickly upend what should be an ultra-nutritious and equally delicious muscle-sculpting…

Listen to the article 5 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. At the Automate conference in Chicago, several speakers discussed the latest in simulation technology, how software and physical artificial intelligence is maturing, as well as tips for advancing automation investments. Here are some of the trends and takeaways from the conference, which was hosted by the Association for Advancing Automation from June 22 to June 25. Digital Twin experimentation is underway Engineers are starting to experiment with ways to leverage artificial intelligence in simulation tools to model and rig machine parts and…

R-Games and R-Factory are preparing a hand-drawn JRPG-inspired adventure for PC, currently planned for Q1 2027. There’s a new fantasy RPG on the horizon for players who enjoy classic JRPGs (like me) but want something a little different in battle. Astral Dive, developed by R-Games and published by R-Factory, has appeared on Steam with a planned release window of Q1 2027, introducing a hand-drawn pixel-art adventure centered on magic, astral portals, and turn-based combat powered by cards. The game follows Atlas, a young mage drawn into a mystery tied to the academy of magic and the strange events that shook…

News July 02, 2026 Dan Taylor Technology Editor Military Embedded Systems Image via Airbus KYIV, Ukraine. Airbus Defence and Space signed a memorandum of understanding with Brave1, Ukraine’s government-led defense technology coordinator, to work on defense technology projects for Ukraine, the company announced in a statement. Brave1 works as a joint platform for Ukraine’s ministries, military, and private technology sector, with the goal of moving battlefield technologies from development to field use, the statement reads. The agreement is Brave1’s first industrial strategic partnership with a Western company, Airbus says. Under the agreement, Airbus and Brave1 will form joint task forces…