Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is not happy with how Arman Tsarukyan reacted to Ilia Topuria’s title loss. Topuria was dethroned by Justin Gaethje on June 14 at the White House. While everyone had counted “The Highlight” out, come fight night, he delivered one of his best performances to date, and after four rounds, Topuria’s face was shattered to a point he could barely see due to the damage. Therefore, the 29-year-old’s corner was forced to throw in the towel and stop the bout. Topuria suffered 2 broken orbitals and a busted-up nose after spending 20 minutes inside the…

During a marathon House markup of next year’s mammoth defense policy bill earlier this month, two proposed amendments that failed to make it out of committee tell a story of concern for the future of women in uniform.The amendments to the Fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, proposed by Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Clay Higgins, R-La., both pertain to the implementation of gender-neutral standards as mandated by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The amendment by Houlahan, an Air Force veteran and advocate for women in combat, would prohibit any service member from being excluded from “an occupational specialty, career…

Thyrm Introduces Limited Edition ‘Stars & Stripes’ PyroVault 2.0 Sunnyvale, CA — Thyrm is paying tribute to America with the limited edition ‘Stars & Stripes’ PyroVault 2.0 Lighter Armor. This is the same widely popular PyroVault 2.0, in a two-tone Blue and Black colorway with blacked-out hardware. Whether you’re looking for a reliable lighter for daily use, or you need a flame source for the backcountry, the PyroVault 2.0’s durable exoskeleton, gasket seal, spring-loaded lid for one-handed opening, & lanyard attachment will keep up with you no matter the mission. The PyroVault 2.0 features include: -Dual-wall, dual-color exoskeleton design-Full gasket seal…

On June 22, 2025, fiber-optic first-person-view drones operated by the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg rebel group, slammed into a convoy of Russian Africa Corps and Malian armed forces vehicles in northern Mali. Footage shows the drones striking two trucks, then cuts to fighters posing beside the wreckage. The significance was unmistakable: a little over a year after fiber-optic drones first appeared in Ukraine, a rebel group with scant resources had deployed the cutting-edge technology to humiliate two comparatively superior state actors.A decade earlier, the use of armed drones in African airspace looked very different. In 2011, the United…

More than 1600 competitors, coaches, referees, and instructors from 48 countries will gather near Varna, Bulgaria, from July 5 to 12, 2026, for the 20th anniversary edition of the International Martial Arts Summer Camp. This year’s event marks two decades of successful international cooperation and the development of martial arts and combat sports worldwide. For eight days, Bulgaria will become a global hub for martial arts, bringing together representatives of different schools and nations for training, competitions, and the exchange of experience. Camp participants will take part in an intensive program featuring daily Kyokushin karate and kickboxing training sessions, specialized Iaido classes, and…

I’ve got a whole backlog of new indie titles to show you, buried in my inbox. Whenever I can find the time, I do my best to bring them all to these pages. This morning, I’m talking about Electronic Games Studio, which is preparing Dungebra, a dark fantasy roguelike deckbuilder currently listed as coming soon on Steam. The game focuses on short, replayable dungeon runs built around card choices, hero preparation, artifacts, and turn-based combat. Rather than starting each attempt with a fully defined deck, Dungebra asks players to shape their build as the run unfolds. Before entering the dungeon,…

Sean Strickland is hoping to return to the octagon by the end of the year. While going on a bit of a journey on Twitter, Strickland responded to a fan who showed enthusiasm toward’s the middleweight champion competing again following his title win over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. Strickland responded, which you can check out here, saying he’s planning a December return. “Just can’t become a fat POS while I heal up,” Strickland added. Who should Strickland face in his first title defense of his new reign? Sound off, MMAF community!

Every now and then, I take a critical look at my blog. This time, I let Claude analyze it and it gave me many insights on how this place has grown and evolved. But also how it might confuse first-time readers. I need to address that and that starts with this post. Let’s dig in. What’s this blog actually about? I started a martial arts and self-defense website in 1999 when the internet became mainstream. I wanted to try it out. I wrote articles, did book and video reviews, etc. Due to technical problems I eventually stopped. Fast forward to…

U.S. Army Col. Crystal D. Ernst is the commander of the 2nd Theater Signal Brigade, headquartered at U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, Germany. The brigade delivers integrated and interoperable theater communications and cyber capabilities to enable decision dominance across all levels and phases of war in support of combat forces and mission partners in Europe and Africa. A native of Wasilla, Alaska, Ernst attended Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, Idaho, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. She taught high school for the Lower Kuskokwim School District in rural Alaska before enlisting in the Army in 2001. She…

Anthony Hernandez returns to the Octagon this summer for the first time since falling to UFC middleweight champ Sean Strickland. UFC middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez’s path to a title shot hit a speed bump when he was finished by Sean Strickland at UFC Houston earlier this year. After Strickland won the UFC middleweight title by defeating Khamzat Chimaev, Hernandez has the chance to potentially secure a rematch and a shot at revenge. Before losing to Strickland, Hernandez won eight consecutive fights, including recent finishes against Roman Dolidze, Brendan Allen, and Roman Kopylov. A win over another top contender could potentially…