UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates on November 9, 2024, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, delivered a night of thrilling finishes and dominant performances. The action-packed card, broadcast on ESPN+, featured 11 MMA bouts, showcasing impressive knockouts, masterful submissions, and hard-fought decisions. Here are the full results of UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates. Main Event Breakdown Main Event: Welterweight Bout - Carlos Prates def. Neil Magny via KO/TKO (Left Hook) - 4:50 Round 1 of 5 In an anticipated clash between seasoned striker Neil Magny and rising powerhouse Carlos Prates, the main event delivered an electrifying finish. Prates sealed his victory with a perfectly timed left hook just seconds before the end of the first round, securing a monumental win and adding another explosive finish to his resume. Co-Main Event Breakdown Middleweight Bout - Reinier de Ridder def. Gerald Meerschaert via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) - 1:44 Round 3 of 3 Reinier de Ridder showcased his grappling mastery against Gerald Meerschaert. After two competitive rounds, de Ridder found the opening he needed in Round 3, executing a tight arm triangle choke to force Meerschaert to tap. This submission victory reaffirmed de Ridder’s dangerous ground game and solidified his position in the middleweight rankings. Main Card Recap Bantamweight Bout - Rolando Bolaños def. Mike Romious via Unanimous Decision Bolaños and Romious went toe-to-toe in a technical battle. Bolaños’ precision and consistent pressure earned him a unanimous decision victory, showcasing his striking skills and resilience over three rounds. Strawweight Bout - Gillian Robertson def. Luana Pinheiro via Unanimous Decision In a grueling contest, Robertson used her grappling advantage to control Pinheiro, securing a unanimous decision win and further solidifying her standing in the strawweight division. Middleweight Bout - Ilyas Abdul-Malik def. Duško Todorović via KO/TKO (Punches) - 2:44 Round 1 of 3 Abdul-Malik made a statement with a rapid knockout win over Todorović. Landing clean, powerful punches, he overwhelmed Todorović midway through the first round, leaving no doubt of his finishing ability in the middleweight division. Prelim Highlights Strawweight Bout - Gabriella Gomes def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz via Unanimous Decision Gomes showcased her technical striking and defensive skills to outpoint veteran Kowalkiewicz, earning a unanimous decision win in an impressive performance. Welterweight Bout - Elizeu Zaleski def. Zack Scroggin via KO/TKO (Punches) - 1:15 Round 1 of 3 Zaleski wasted no time, delivering a flurry of punches that quickly overwhelmed Scroggin for a first-round TKO. The explosive finish highlighted Zaleski’s dangerous striking. Welterweight Bout - Adam Radtke def. Matthew Semelsberger via KO/TKO (Punches) - 0:51 Round 1 of 3 Radtke’s power was on full display with a quick, decisive TKO win over Semelsberger in under a minute, solidifying his place as a dangerous force in the welterweight division. Bantamweight Bout - Da'Mon Blackshear def. Cody Stamann via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) - 4:19 Round 1 of 3 Blackshear demonstrated his submission prowess, expertly securing a rear-naked choke on Stamann in the first round, reinforcing his reputation as a grappling specialist. Middleweight Bout - Tresean Gore def. Antonio Trócoli via Submission (Standing Guillotine Choke) - 1:23 Round 1 of 3 Gore’s quick reflexes and grappling skills allowed him to lock in a standing guillotine choke, forcing Trócoli to tap early in the opening round. Bantamweight Bout - Joshua Mullins def. Kamil Syguła via KO/TKO (Ground and Pound) - 1:20 Round 2 of 3 Mullins delivered a relentless ground-and-pound attack in the second round, earning a TKO victory over Syguła and displaying his heavy-handed skills. UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates thrilled fans with a series of jaw-dropping finishes and technical battles. From Prates’ main event knockout to de Ridder’s grappling clinic, the event had something for every fan. The fighters delivered memorable performances, adding fresh intrigue to the UFC's welterweight, middleweight, and bantamweight divisions.

UFC Vegas events have reshaped the world of MMA, showcasing incredible fights that made the UFC Apex a must-watch venue for hardcore fans. From jaw-dropping finishes to heated rivalries, these events have created unforgettable moments in the Octagon, making each Vegas Fight Night something truly special. As we approach UFC Vegas 100, let’s take a look back at the top 10 fights that left fans speechless from UFC Vegas 1 to UFC Vegas 99. Covington vs. Woodley: The Grudge Match Showdown This fight was long-anticipated, with Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley carrying a heated rivalry stemming from both personal and professional tensions. Both fighters needed a win to make their mark in the welterweight division. Covington dominated Woodley with relentless pressure, controlling the fight until an injury forced Woodley to stop in the fifth round. Covington’s ground control and output were unmatched, emphasizing his elite endurance and skill. This fight ended a fierce rivalry and solidified Covington’s claim as a top contender, marking a significant moment in UFC Vegas history. Holland vs. Souza: The Knockout That Defied Gravity Kevin Holland, known for his striking skills, faced the seasoned grappler Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. It was a classic striker-vs-grappler matchup with high stakes for both fighters. In one of the most memorable knockouts, Holland landed a brutal right hand while still on his back, sending Souza crashing to the mat. It was a KO unlike any other, showcasing Holland’s power and unpredictability. The KO’s unique delivery and shock factor make this a standout moment that UFC fans will remember for years to come. Chimaev vs. Meerschaert: The Lightning-Quick Finish Rising star Khamzat Chimaev was on a fast track to the top, with two dominant finishes in just 10 days prior. Facing veteran Gerald Meerschaert, fans were eager to see if Chimaev’s hype was real. Chimaev made a statement with a devastating first-punch knockout in just 17 seconds, marking one of the fastest finishes in UFC Vegas history. This win showcased Chimaev’s raw power and solidified him as a true threat in the division, making it one of the most memorable finishes at the Apex. Blaydes vs. Volkov: A Heavyweight Marathon Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov squared off in a heavyweight bout that promised power and grit. Both fighters were hungry for a title shot, adding stakes to this clash of giants. Blaydes demonstrated exceptional wrestling, setting a UFC heavyweight record for takedowns in a fight, while Volkov fought hard to stay in the game. The fight’s grueling pace and Blaydes' domination through relentless takedowns made this a landmark in the UFC Apex’s heavyweight battles. Thompson vs. Neal: A Striking Showcase Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson and Geoff Neal, two skilled strikers, met in a welterweight bout that promised high-level standup action. Neal looked to prove himself against the former title challenger, while Thompson sought to solidify his place in the division. Thompson’s fluid movement and pinpoint accuracy were on full display, giving fans a striking clinic and ultimately leading him to a decision victory. Thompson’s masterclass performance reminded fans why he’s one of the best strikers in the UFC, making this a memorable event at the Apex. Edwards vs. Muhammad: The Fight with a Dramatic Ending Leon Edwards, on an eight-fight winning streak, faced Belal Muhammad in a fight with serious welterweight implications. Both fighters were eager to make a statement. The bout was intense from the start, but it ended abruptly in the second round due to an accidental eye poke, leaving fans with an unfinished clash. Despite its controversial ending, this fight sparked discussions across the MMA community and left fans wanting a rematch. Brunson vs. Shahbazyan: The Veteran Upset Rising star Edmen Shahbazyan was hyped as the next big middleweight, but he had to face Derek Brunson, a proven veteran, to prove it. Brunson’s experience showed as he wore down Shahbazyan with ground control and eventually finished him in the third round, ending the prospect’s winning streak. Brunson’s ability to outlast and defeat a rising star showed that he was still a force in the division, creating a memorable upset at the Apex. Luque vs. Brown: A Brawl to Remember Vicente Luque and Randy Brown, two exciting welterweights, promised an action-packed fight with both men looking to climb the ranks. Luque’s heavy strikes and Brown’s resilience turned this into an explosive battle, ending with Luque’s knee knockout in the second round. This fight had everything fans love—intensity, skill, and a jaw-dropping finish that earned Luque a memorable win. Holland vs. Buckley: The Breakout Performance Kevin Holland and Joaquin Buckley, both known for their exciting styles, squared off in a middleweight bout that promised fireworks. Holland’s precision and swagger were in full swing as he knocked out Buckley in the third round, showcasing his elite striking. This was a breakout moment for Holland, solidifying him as a fan favorite and making this fight one of the most entertaining at the Apex. Gaethje vs. Ferguson: The Epic Battle of Attrition Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson headlined UFC Vegas 1 in an interim title fight with high stakes. Both men were known for their resilience and toughness. Gaethje delivered a career-defining performance, landing heavy strikes on Ferguson and eventually winning via TKO in the fifth round. This brutal battle is remembered for its heart, grit, and Gaethje’s dominance, setting the tone for UFC Vegas events and securing its spot as the most memorable fight at the Apex.

Young people who grew up in the age of the internet will find it difficult to grasp just how hard it used to be to track down information about rare martial arts. Case in point: hisardut. I first heard about the Israeli self-defense system in 1990 while attending college on the East Coast. I was part of a small group of die-hards who kept their eyes and ears open for leads on events that featured styles that were new to us. A campus flyer indicated that a hisardut seminar would take place within driving distance of the college. None of us made it to the clinic, but the name hisardut became lodged in my brain — I’m not sure why. Jump ahead 28 years. While browsing the web, I happened across a hisardut academy just 40 miles from my home. When I learned that it was run by an eminently qualified instructor, I made arrangements to connect. You’re reading the result of that meeting. HISARDUT HISTORY Hisardut owes its existence to one man named Dennis Hanover. He was born in 1937 in Johannesburg, South Africa, where his Jewish parents had fled as mounting tensions in Europe steered planet Earth toward its Second World War. For the child, however, life in South Africa was no luxury cruise. “It was a hard time for Dennis and his family,” said Hezi Sheli, the sixth-degree black belt who has run the Israeli Martial Arts Academy in Westlake Village, California, since 2010 and who trained under Hanover in Israel. “His family didn’t have much money in South Africa,” Sheli said. “Then his parents got divorced. His father wasn’t there when they needed him most. Whenever Dennis talks about his childhood, he talks about feeling like a stray cat on the street. Then when he was 17 years old, his dad died.” The comparison to a stray cat on the street is an apt one because Hanover spent so much of his time there. One of the first lessons he learned was that the person who fights back is the one who survives. “That was the beginning of hisardut, which means ‘survival’ in Hebrew,” Sheli said. “Dennis realized that when he fought back, people gave him respect and left him alone.” Knowing he needed to acquire some formal self-defense skills, Hanover tried several martial arts schools, but the owners refused to accept him. Finally, he found a judo gym that consented — under one condition. “They said, ‘We’ll let you train here, but you need to clean the toilets and the rest of the school,’” Sheli said. Hanover agreed. When he wasn’t cleaning, he managed to pick up some effective grappling skills. More important for the long term, though, was the fact that he learned he had the spirit and determination needed to succeed in any art or endeavor. In the dojo, Hanover set about building better technique. On the outside, he set about building a better life. To that end, he got married, and in 1963 the couple immigrated to Israel. “Again, they had no money and no friends,” Sheli said. “So he started teaching judo, and while he was doing that, he studied kyokushin karate and ju-jitsu.” KYOKUSHIN SPLIT Hanover took to ju-jitsu and kyokushin as readily as he did judo. In 1975 the martial artist, at age 37, competed in the first World Full-Contact Karate Open Championships in Tokyo. His performance earned him a reputation as one of the top karate fighters in the world. It also spawned his friendship with Mas Oyama and his relationship with the Kyokushinkaikan. However, neither was destined to last. Four years later, Hanover was prepping his best students to compete at the second kyokushin world championships. “Mr. Oyama sent him a letter saying they couldn’t come,” Sheli said. “King Hussein of Jordan was to be a guest — and possibly a sponsor — and he told Mr. Oyama that if the Israeli delegation was coming, he wasn’t.” Hanover’s reply was diplomatic but stern. “He said, ‘This is an amazing martial art, but if you cannot put us together and give us the respect that we give you and the Jordanians, then I’m sorry, but I have to go my way,’” Sheli said. The slamming of one more door in the face of Dennis Hanover thus served as the impetus for the creation of a self-defense system. Hanover dubbed it “Dennis hisardut ju-jitsu.” “He took karate, judo and ju-jitsu and put them together,” Sheli said. “Why? Because he had seen all these attacks on the street and knew that for self-defense, karate was good but not enough. Karate in Israel at the time was practiced as a sport. Judo also was good but not enough because it was a sport. And he added ju-jitsu, which was not a sport.” But Hanover didn’t stop with just a collection of what he deemed viable techniques culled from three arts. From his time on the street, he knew there was still a missing ingredient. “In Israel, we face terrorism from the south, from the north and from inside,” Sheli said. “Dennis understood that to defend against that, his system had to be aggressive. It had to be about survival. Dennis likes to say that any instructor can teach you how to punch and kick, and it’s true. He also says that what you need for survival is the spirit to pick yourself up off the ground and fight. That’s one of the unique things his system teaches.” CURRENT STATE “The two leading self-defense systems in Israel today are krav maga and Dennis hisardut ju-jitsu,” said Sheli, who lived in Israel until 2007. “Judo and karate are popular, but they are sports with rules. Dennis hisardut ju-jitsu and krav maga are designed for the street. “Krav maga is a great system. The krav maga people in Israel are good friends of ours, and we give each other lots of respect. To some people, the two systems look the same, but they’re not. Krav maga was designed to have a few basic moves — blocking, punching, striking to the soft points — and then you get out of there. Every soldier in the Israel Defense Forces has some krav maga training. “Dennis realized this can be good for some self-defense situations but not necessarily for anti-terrorism. If someone attacks you with a gun, a knife or a stick and you block and punch, it’s not enough. You have to keep going. Most special-ops units understand that it’s not enough, so they get training in Dennis hisardut.” Sheli knows what he’s talking about. He started learning Dennis hisardut in 1992 and continued while he served in an Israeli special-ops unit. “I began training because every country has problems with bullying and crime, and I didn’t want to be a victim in school,” Sheli said. “The second reason was I knew when I was 18, I was going to join the military.” In between those milestones came a lesser event that would have lasting repercussions. “Our gym had to send all the instructors to a convention in Europe for two weeks, and Guy Hanover, Dennis’ son, picked me and another guy to keep the gym open,” Sheli said. “For me to have this responsibility — at 16 years old — was a big moment. I realized they could see potential in me and they trusted me.” In the ensuing years, the teaching method Sheli developed for this mixed martial art — one that’s geared for survival rather than sport — evolved as a way to perpetuate Hanover’s creation while meeting the needs of American students. “I like to have the flexibility to fit the teaching to the people,” he said. “They never know what’s coming on any given day. Even I don’t know because I wait until I go on the mat and see the levels of the students. There is always a fitness and strength component in our training, and there is always aggression. In one class, I might do 20 minutes of karate training. In another, I might give 20 minutes to judo. In another, the focus will be on ju-jitsu or knife, gun or stick.” Once students get the basics down, Sheli begins to immerse them in all that Hanover incorporated into the hisardut system. “One time, I might put them in the middle to defend against knife attacks and have them use only judo defense,” he said. “Another time, I tell them they can use only karate — punch, kick, move. Or only ju-jitsu, so they have to go for the joints. “When they’re ready, I tell them to put it all together. In the end, each student picks his or her own style. A guy who’s short might pick more judo techniques, while a guy who has long legs might go for karate techniques. If you’re a woman, you need to know good judo — but not necessarily go for a judo technique if someone who weighs 220 pounds comes after you. You can take him, but it will require lots of effort. It’s better to use your speed, your punches, your kicks — and then maybe do a takedown if you need to. But you should try to stay away from the ground. “That’s the beauty of having different elements of different martial arts in one system. Students can take what they’re good at and what works for them.” As for that missing ingredient of aggression? “Many times, kids these days are not aggressive, but the parents know what’s waiting for their children and want them to be strong,” Sheli said. “In 2009 I was in Israel to train. I met a krav maga guy from Boston, and he saw the kids fighting in Israel. He said, ‘This can never happen in America because it’s too aggressive.’ I understand what he meant because there was no headgear, just shinguards, mouth guards, hand pads and groin cups. “Then I told him this was the right method of instruction because there is a progression. In the beginning, they work on pads, improve their fitness, learn judo techniques, and start to build aggression with judo and ju-jitsu on their knees. There are lots of aggression games. Then the kids spar with older kids who have experience, who know not to break them while giving them a good session that’s empowering. I always tell students to leave their ego in the parking lot. We are here to help each other get stronger, not to defeat each other. Defeating each other is easy; building each other up is the real challenge.” One of the main lessons Sheli imparts to build up students of all ages — and one he recommends for practitioners of all martial arts — is not to freeze in the face of danger. “You have to do something,” he said. “You have to refuse to be a victim. If you know your surroundings and you’re confident in your skills, most likely you will make a good decision. “In Israel when there’s an attack, most people don’t freeze because so many have served in the military. Most people will do something. Some people will run away, which is normal, but some will pick up a chair and throw it. That’s why, when there is an attack in Israel, we have a lower number of casualties versus the same attack that happens in Europe. More people should learn how to close the distance and fight back. Some will get hurt, yes, but not as many as when nobody fights.” It sounds like he’s saying that to create a more secure society, more people should learn hisardut. If that’s his intent, I would agree. Photography by Robert Reiff

BRAVE Combat Federation has formed a partnership with broadcasting platform Swerve TV to extend access to BRAVE CF events to 80% of households in the United States. This partnership will allow viewers across the U.S. and Canada to watch BRAVE CF’s past and future events for free, broadening the sport’s visibility. Since 2016, BRAVE Combat Federation has hosted 89 events in 34 countries, establishing itself as one of the most internationally present MMA organizations. In Europe, it has held events in 15 countries, in Asia in 13 countries, and it remains the only international MMA organization to have hosted events in Africa. Swerve Combat, accessible on more than 22 streaming platforms, will now include BRAVE CF’s content as part of its combat sports programming. The channel delivers live events, classic matchups, and original programming, reaching an audience of over five million monthly and streaming more than half a million hours of content. BRAVE CF COO Valeria Lang stated, “This partnership enables us to reach a large audience in the United States while continuing to deliver MMA events from various regions." Swerve TV CEO Steve Shannon also welcomed the partnership, noting that BRAVE CF’s content will help expand the channel’s combat sports offerings. The partnership’s launch coincided with BRAVE CF 89 in Tenerife, and the collaboration continues with BRAVE CF 90, scheduled in Vienna on November 23. This event will mark Austria as the 16th European nation and the 35th country overall to host a BRAVE CF event.

When it comes to powerful, jaw-dropping fight scenes in action cinema, Michael Jai White stands in a league of his own. With a blend of elite martial arts expertise and an intense on-screen presence, he’s created a collection of unforgettable fight scenes that are pure adrenaline for any action movie fan. As we celebrate Michael Jai White’s birthday, let’s revisit his top 10 most iconic fight scenes that showcase his incredible technique, power, and charisma, proving why he remains one of action cinema’s most respected martial artists. Happy Birthday Michael Jai White!! 1. "Blood and Bone" – Prison Yard Fight In Blood and Bone  (2009), Michael Jai White’s character, Isaiah Bone, dominates a prison yard fight with raw, unstoppable force. The setup: Bone, a mysterious man with a dark past, takes on an entire group of inmates in an all-out brawl. The choreography here is tight, gritty, and unrelenting, emphasizing White’s swift, powerful strikes and his unparalleled ability to turn hand-to-hand combat into art. This fight is a favorite because it shows the technical side of Michael’s craft and his ability to take on multiple opponents effortlessly. Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/70122364 2. "Undisputed II: Last Man Standing" – Chambers vs. Boyka As heavyweight boxer George “Iceman” Chambers, White faces off against Scott Adkins’ Yuri Boyka, a fan-favorite villain with ruthless agility. This brutal underground cage fight is an intense blend of boxing and martial arts styles, creating a memorable showdown. White’s powerful boxing strikes clash with Boyka’s acrobatics in a dynamic, unpredictable fight that keeps fans on the edge of their seats. Here, White shows his ability to seamlessly integrate striking with grappling, making it a must-watch for any action fan. Watch on Apple TV: https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/undisputed-ii-last-man-standing/umc.cmc.34842u77yt291ftk0cioipfem 3. "Falcon Rising" – Church Fight Falcon Rising  (2014) showcases White as John "Falcon" Chapman, a former Marine on a revenge mission in Brazil. In this fight set in an abandoned church, he takes on a group of armed men with relentless intensity. The scene is unique for its creative use of the setting, with White employing various weapons and his martial arts skill to deliver bone-crushing blows. The choreography here highlights his versatility, mixing different fighting styles to take down his opponents with sheer ferocity. Watch on Prime Video: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Falcon-Rising/0GQJUQJP59W0PFNCQZVK59R3AU 4. "Spawn" – Alley Fight In Spawn  (1997), White takes on the role of the iconic comic book character Spawn, whose supernatural powers make for a unique fight scene in a dark alley. Although this film focuses heavily on special effects, White’s combat skills still shine through, making his confrontation with a gang of enemies memorable. His combination of martial arts prowess and supernatural abilities makes this a thrilling scene for fans of superhero and action movies alike. Watch on Prime Video: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Spawn/0IQWGP04CIG63CBX2491VGTRIY 5. "Triple Threat" – Payu vs. Devereaux In the high-octane Triple Threat  (2019), White plays Devereaux, a mercenary leader who battles the best in the business. His one-on-one fight with Tony Jaa’s character, Payu, is a martial arts masterclass. Combining White’s power with Jaa’s speed, the scene is intense and expertly choreographed. The skill and agility on display make it a showcase of pure martial arts technique, blending elements of Muay Thai and American kickboxing. Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/hk-en/title/80195901 6. "Exit Wounds" – Shootout and Hand-to-Hand Showdown In Exit Wounds  (2001), White appears as the formidable antagonist Lewis Strutt. His climactic fight scene with Steven Seagal is a classic action moment, blending gunplay with hand-to-hand combat. White’s quick movements and raw strength steal the scene, demonstrating why he stands out even against seasoned stars like Seagal. This fight is a fan favorite for its clever choreography and White’s effortless on-screen charisma. Watch on Apple TV: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/exit-wounds/umc.cmc.1qlq0m9waqgqep32xiudjzsmu 7. "Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown" – Training Fight In this 2011 sequel, White plays Case Walker, a seasoned MMA fighter who trains a group of young fighters. In an early training session, he showcases his skill in a series of realistic, MMA-inspired techniques, emphasizing grappling, striking, and submission holds. The authenticity of the fight choreography adds a layer of realism, giving fans a glimpse into White’s real-life martial arts expertise and dedication to portraying realistic fight scenes. Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/70197438 8. "The Dark Knight" – Gambol’s Final Stand While White’s role as mob boss Gambol in The Dark Knight  (2008) is brief, his intense confrontation with Heath Ledger’s Joker is unforgettable. Though it’s not a lengthy fight, White’s menacing presence and combative energy elevate the scene. As Gambol, White exudes a calm yet powerful energy that contrasts with the Joker’s chaotic menace, making this scene one of the most memorable in the film. Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/70079583 9. "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" – Jax vs. Kano In Mortal Kombat: Legacy  (2011), White steps into the role of Jax, bringing his martial arts prowess to the fan-favorite character. His fight with Kano is brutal and explosive, as White channels Jax’s strength and combat skills. The intensity and grounded realism make this fight stand out in the Mortal Kombat  universe, and White’s portrayal brings a new level of respect to the character. 10. "Black Dynamite" – Warehouse Showdown Black Dynamite  (2009) showcases White’s comedic timing and martial arts abilities in a satirical take on classic Blaxploitation films. In the warehouse showdown, he singlehandedly takes down an entire gang with style, blending humor and martial arts for a fresh, engaging take on action choreography. This scene is a fan favorite for its mix of comedy and skill, highlighting White’s range as both a martial artist and a performer. Watch on Apple TV: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/black-dynamite/umc.cmc.28b0hwt0fdc7m4t3nyqu6vtvc Michael Jai White has carved a unique niche in action cinema, delivering fight scenes that stand the test of time. With a genuine background in martial arts, White brings authenticity, intensity, and charisma to every role he takes on, making him one of the most respected names in action movies. As we celebrate his birthday, let’s remember these iconic scenes and the impact he’s made on martial arts in film. For fans of action-packed cinema and top-notch fight choreography, Michael Jai White is a legend whose work will continue to inspire and thrill for years to come. So, which Michael Jai White fight scene is your favorite?

Southern pride Keith Vitali graced the May 1980 cover of Karate Illustrated , marking the start of the flashy 80s era. A former Karate Champion, he made his impact well before the UFC and MMA took center stage. Learn more about this cover and the entire magazine preserved in digital format: https://www.blackbeltmag.com

Date:  Saturday, November 9, 2024 Location:  UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada Broadcast:  ESPN+ The Octagon is set to host another intense night of fights as UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates brings 13 electrifying matchups to Las Vegas. With seasoned veterans, up-and-comers, and powerful debuts, this fight card promises a range of explosive bouts from the prelims to the main event. Here’s a breakdown of each fight to get you ready for an unforgettable event Main Event: Welterweight Bout Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates Neil Magny, the seasoned UFC welterweight and ranking gatekeeper, faces off against Carlos Prates, a hungry challenger looking to make a statement in his UFC career. Magny’s relentless pace and ground control will be tested by Prates’ striking precision and grappling skills. Can Magny maintain his status, or will Prates secure a breakthrough win? Co-Main Event: Bantamweight Bout Cody Garbrandt vs. Miles Johns Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt squares off against Miles Johns in a battle that could reshape the Bantamweight rankings. Garbrandt’s knockout power meets Johns’ well-rounded game, and both fighters are known for bringing the heat. With each seeking resurgence, expect fireworks as they battle for a shot at higher ranks. Main Card Fights Female Strawweight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Denise Gomes - Kowalkiewicz brings her veteran experience into the Octagon against Denise Gomes, an emerging talent in the Strawweight division. Kowalkiewicz’s technical striking and defense will face Gomes' aggressive style. It’s a classic veteran vs. prospect showdown, and the winner could climb up the division’s ranks. Bantamweight: Ricky Turcios vs. Benardo Sopaj - Turcios, a fan favorite with an unorthodox style, battles Sopaj, who’s looking to establish himself in the Bantamweight scene. Turcios' unpredictable moves and Sopaj’s raw power promise a high-paced bout with potential Fight of the Night energy. Middleweight: Gerald Meerschaert vs. Reinier de Ridder - Meerschaert, a submission artist, faces the Dutch powerhouse Reinier de Ridder, known for his grappling expertise. Both fighters are submission-savvy, and this ground war could end quickly if one secures a solid position. Expect a tactical fight with plenty of high-stakes moments. Female Strawweight: Luana Pinheiro vs. Gillian Robertson - Grappling aficionados will enjoy this bout as Pinheiro and Robertson, both submission specialists, lock horns. Pinheiro’s Judo background and Robertson’s BJJ pedigree make this a fascinating stylistic clash that could end in a thrilling submission finish. Preliminary Card Fights Welterweight: Nicolas Dalby vs. Elizeu Zaleski - Two veterans in the welterweight division, Dalby and Zaleski bring striking-heavy arsenals to the Octagon. This matchup has the makings of a slugfest, with both fighters known for durable chins and striking versatility. Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Duško Todorović - Abdul-Malik and Todorović, both powerful middleweights, are eager to prove their skills. Todorović’s aggressive striking and Abdul-Malik’s well-rounded skill set promise an action-packed bout. Welterweight: Charles Radtke vs. Matthew Semelsberger - This matchup pits Radtke’s technical striking against Semelsberger’s knockout power. Both fighters have a lot to prove in the stacked welterweight division, making this a potential highlight-reel fight. Bantamweight: Cody Stamann vs. Da'Mon Blackshear - Stamann’s wrestling prowess will be tested by Blackshear’s explosive style. This bout promises a high-energy clash, with each fighter aiming to climb the bantamweight ladder. Female Bantamweight: Melissa Mullins vs. Klaudia Syguła - Two emerging talents, Mullins and Syguła, step into the Octagon to showcase their skills. This bout is critical for both fighters as they seek to establish their presence in the bantamweight division. Bantamweight: Cortavious Romious vs. Gaston Bolaños - Romious’ grappling meets Bolaños’ striking in a classic clash of styles. This bout could go either way, depending on who controls the tempo. Middleweight: Tresean Gore vs. Antonio Trócoli - Gore’s power and Trócoli’s technical striking make for an interesting middleweight bout. With both fighters looking to make a statement, expect a strong finish. This stacked fight card brings together a unique blend of experienced fighters and ambitious newcomers, promising thrilling finishes and memorable moments. Tune in for UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates on ESPN+ to witness every hard-hitting moment live!

Let’s start with a definition. For the purposes of this column in giving tips for martial art teachers, the term “training scar” does not refer to a casual wound incurred by martial arts students during their regular workouts. Those bumps, bruises, scrapes, and abrasions are collateral damage, the results of accidents — and often things the students point to for bragging rights. In contrast, a training scar is what often develops because of a cognitive quirk of the human brain. Also called “path dependence,” it’s a habit unknowingly cultivated in training that may carry over to real-world application much to the detriment of the student. Training scars don’t specifically refer to bad habits in the sense of students practicing with bad form — for example, a student “swimming his jab,” which refers to leaving an open line as he fires or retracts his punch; or a student “sweeping out of plumb,” which refers to paying no attention to eye level while hitting a sweep from the bottom. These are bad habits of technical execution, not training scars so much as mistakes you need to correct whenever you see them. A training scar is a bad habit that students build in the off-moments of their workouts, their perceived downtimes, the seconds that fall between drill iterations. Unfortunately, all students, no matter their skill level, are susceptible to developing training scars, and they likely have nothing to do with bad instruction. Let’s go to an example to illuminate. Two of your students are working a weapon disarm. It’s Student A’s turn to get the knife away from Student B, which she does with fight-film perfection. Then she bends down, picks up the dropped blade, and hands it back to her partner for another go. That bending down to retrieve the weapon, that simple act of courtesy, is a training scar. Whether they realize it or not, that rote bit of kindness can get stored in the human brain as a component of the disarm. That means this little practice of civility can manifest in street conditions by sheer dint that the student has made it part of her training. And the consequences can be deadly. If you doubt the likelihood of this happening, look on YouTube and you’ll find more than a few videos of law-enforcement officers disarming weapon-wielding suspects in real life and then — you’ll be aghast when you see this — handing the weapon back to the assailant. Here are two more examples of training scars. (Once you know what to look for, you’ll start spotting them in class.) Student A offers Student B a helping hand so he can get up quickly after being thrown to the mat. Student A stops in the middle of a light-contact sparring session, pops out her mouth guard, and proceeds to discuss Student B’s lead hook. Does that mean you should forbid your students from helping each other up after a takedown or throw? Should you prohibit them from discussing techniques in the middle of sparring? Not at all. It means you should educate them and point out potential problems when you notice them. For example, after you spot someone dropping her guard to dissect a punch, explain that she can do that as long as she makes sure to keep her hands up, her eyes on the opponent, and her body out of range. Fortunately, training scars are relatively easy to identify once you learn the concept, at which point they’ll be easy to remedy. The best way to detect them is to examine your students’ actions during the gaps between drill repetitions and in the post-execution phase, and then offer remedial advice on the spot. Harder to cope with, however, is something similar that’s often called “task saturation.” In chaotic or unfamiliar circumstances, the human animal often reacts less than ideally, hence the importance of training for those in the military, law enforcement, and combat sports. Training for chaos with chaos in mind is not a guarantee that you’ll perform up to snuff, but it’s a nice bit of insurance. Task saturation comes into play when students get exceptionally focused on their training protocol. In essence, one of them performs every step perfectly, in perfect order, no matter what details crop up along the way. The military has studied task saturation extensively because the nature of military training ingrains skills so well under so many chaotic circumstances that soldiers have a higher likelihood of developing issues. That means when one item on the checklist is no longer ideal, a soldier who is task-saturated will tend to fixate on completing the task despite the fact that it’s no longer valid and might actually cause harm. Example: There have been many instances of military helicopters having to ditch. Task saturation can be a problem when pilots adhere so closely to the ditching checklist that some of their actions make the ditch even hairier. Task saturation is a tough glitch to overcome because it’s the opposite of having bad form in training. It entails having a person who’s so well-trained that protocol will not be broken come hell or high water. The good news is that this is seldom experienced by people who are good at improvising, folks we’d call quick on their feet. Make sure your students follow in their footsteps as they walk the fine line between being well-trained with an eye on protocol and being well-trained but having eyes that are always searching for indications that protocol — or even a bit of it — needs to be tossed. In training, the military attempts to thwart task saturation by varying the tasks soldiers perform and creating scenarios in which protocol must be scrapped. In other words, they force improvisation. A similar concept was used in Native American warrior training that was designed to teach a lightness or flow in response to stress. In Comanche, the catch-all term was wumetu. It directed warriors to follow their training but also to keep their eyes open at all times so the battle plan can be adjusted — or abandoned — at a moment’s notice. Wumetu was inculcated, just as in the modern military, by having warriors engage in stressful training with unexpected variables intended to keep the mind hopping. There’s no reason you, as a martial arts instructor, can’t benefit from the wisdom of these two groups the next time you’re devising self-defense scenarios for your students.

For decades, I’ve wished I could supplement my martial arts skill set with a few years of boxing without subjecting myself to the punishment boxers appear to endure. Also holding me back is the fact that boxing just doesn’t appeal to me the way traditional Asian martial arts do. For those reasons, I figured the best way to improve my hands was to seek out a boxing instructor who likes to share. Enter James Bennett. Not only is he a skilled boxer — he’s trained since he was 10 years old — but he also holds a third-degree black belt in kenpo and cross-trains in muay Thai, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and escrima. That makes him the perfect person to offer advice on how a martial artist can learn the lessons of the sweet science without taking a beating and without abandoning his or her art. “Bruce Lee once said you employ your hands the most in any self-defense situation,” James Bennett said. “It’s normal — we use our feet to walk, run, jump and kick, but we use our hands for everything else.” Martial artists looking to fortify these primary weapons with the lessons of boxing shouldn’t worry about sacrificing overall effectiveness, he added. “The hands are absolutely not lacking in power. Hit a heavy bag at head height with a roundhouse kick, then hit it with a left hook. Nine times out of 10, the left hook will be more powerful because you’re not fighting gravity. When you properly use your backup mass and your torque, when you rotate and drop your weight, a punch to the head can be stronger than a roundhouse to the head.” The following are the insights Bennett offered on the four main boxing punches, as well as the overhand right. THE LEFT JAB What Makes the Boxing Jab Special “When boxers punch, their weight is usually distributed 50-50, and they’re always ready for a follow-up shot, whether it’s a straight right or a left hook. They never overextend because it would reduce their mobility.” How Specialization Leads to Power “The boxing jab generally has more power than the [ordinary] forward-hand punch. The main reason is punching is what boxers practice all the time. Martial artists, on the other hand, practice elbows, palms, knees, kicks and all sorts of stuff. They can’t dedicate as much time to punching. This specialization teaches boxers to thrust the jab out like a ramrod. When their arm is three-quarters extended, they turn into the jab for more power. When their fist is almost in the opponent’s face, they lean into it for even more force. That way, they don’t telegraph it.” How Horizontal Compares to Vertical “Even though I do kenpo, I prefer to jab with a horizontal fist because that’s how it’s done in boxing. Of course, you can also jab with a vertical fist and still lean into the punch and hit your opponent with a ramrod-type shot. The advantage to the vertical fist is if someone has his hands up, the vertical fist might be able to slip through, while the horizontal fist sometimes gets caught. Either way, the jab is mostly used to stun the opponent, bloody him up a bit, water his eyes — and then set him up for what he doesn’t see coming.” Whether the Jab Should Gauge Distance or Do Damage “I teach the jab to hurt as much as anything else. Yes, it’s used to gauge the distance and to ‘feel out’ the opponent — in the ring. On the street, however, you don’t smack a guy in the face with your jab to gauge anything; you do it to hurt him. As Mike Tyson used to say, ‘Punch with bad intentions.’” When You Shouldn’t Feel Out an Attacker “Using the jab to feel out your opponent in the ring is fine. Both of you know you’re going to get hit by punches. There are no surprises; you know what to watch out for. On the street, though, you never know what to watch out for. If you throw a couple of jabs for the purpose of measuring, you’re giving up the element of surprise. You’re telling your opponent that you’re a puncher, and that will make him watch your hands.” What Targets Your Jab Should Aim For “A jab will often target the face but not always. It depends on the size of your foe, the environment, your clothing and the level of danger present. A jab can be thrown to the midsection, which puts you in a great position for an overhand right, which can be a knockout blow. On the street, however, I’d probably go for the face.” Why You Shouldn’t Think Single Techniques “In a real fight, always plan to use combinations. If you throw an initial jab and he goes down, fine. If he doesn’t, you’re ready to keep going until he does go down. Never depend on one-punch-one-kill. Never think, I don’t need a follow-up because I’m going to throw one punch and I’m going to get one kill. Always prepare for combinations.” THE STRAIGHT RIGHT What’s in a Name “Some people call it the straight right, and some call it the right cross. They’re the same thing: a straight right punch that goes down the middle. If you’re right-handed, you’re standing with your left foot forward. Your feet are a little wider than shoulder width. You have your front toe and back heel aligned so you can rotate into the punch and get your body mass behind it. Your hands are up. As you extend your right arm, your right shoulder stays in close proximity to your jaw for protection. You torque your upper body just before it lands. Always use a horizontal fist. “The traditional martial arts reverse punch starts with the fist on the hip. Then you punch forward while retracting your other hand, which creates a push-pull opposing force for power. The problem is you don’t have a hand to guard your head and your chin is usually up and your back straight. It is a powerful punch, there’s no doubting that, but it leaves you susceptible to a counter. In contrast, a boxer is crouched, his chin is down for protection, and his shoulders and hands are up for protection.” Where the Power Comes From “In addition to the arm, shoulder and torso, a boxer throwing a straight right gets power from the legs. If you look at the greatest knockouts in the sport, the victors usually have big legs and big glutes — they’re heavy from the waist down. That’s because their power comes from driving off the rear leg; their hand just makes the connection. They tilt forward, but they don’t distribute their weight unevenly.” What the Preferred Targets Are “If you want an instant effect, go to the head. In a boxing match, where the fighters are wearing gloves and maybe headgear, you don’t always get an instant response. On the street, with the knuckles landing directly on the opponent’s head, you do get that instant response. “Depending on the situation, you might drop a straight right into the body and come off it for a left hook to the head. If you see an opening to land a right hand on his ribs, go ahead and take those ribs out. Then come back up and take the head off.” Whether This Should Be Your Go-To Weapon “It all depends on the person and the scenario. If you’re in the ring and you know who you’re sparring with, it’s OK to think that way. But if you’re in a street scenario, you won’t know what your opponent will do. You have to be prepared for anything. “If you’re at medium range and can fire off a straight right, absolutely. But if you’re at close range and can’t fire, maybe your go-to weapon is an elbow. The good thing in this situation is that concept and principle are the same; the only differences are the weapon and the distance. The targets and the movements are the same. I’ve seen people get knocked cold with elbows.” THE LEFT HOOK Why It’s the Left Hook “If you’re right-handed, you want to use your [left] hand for the hook because it’s closer to your opponent. If you get full rotation into it, it’s very powerful even though it’s fired off your lead hand. The disadvantage comes when your timing’s off because it can leave you susceptible to a counter with the right hand, so you’ve got to make sure you’re throwing it properly.” Why It Has Knockout Power "The left hook is a knockout punch because of the force it gets from body rotation. Earlier, I said the left jab isn’t typically a knockout blow, but the left hook is.” When to Throw It “If you feel sufficiently threatened, you might just fire off a left hook and hit your adversary smack on the jaw. But the safest way to use it is when someone launches an attack and you’re able to slip to one side and come across with a counter-hook. Or when you bob and weave and then come up before throwing a left hook. It’s fine as an initial attack, but if you miss, you need to watch for a counterstrike that comes over the top. “Sometimes you’ll throw a left hook and miss — but it still stops him from attacking. Often, not hitting him is OK as long as you stop him from hitting you.” Whether Fist Orientation Matters “Some people do the left hook with their fist horizontal, and some do it with their fist vertical. In a real fight, I say just hit him. The last thing you want to be thinking about is details. It will have the same effect either way. “In training, I do the hook to the head with a vertical fist because if I’m off a little bit, there’s no damage to my wrist. However, when I’m training to hit the body while I’m in close, I usually go with the horizontal fist. Both work; that’s all that matters. “If you’re a martial artist who’s just starting out in boxing, train both ways. You will automatically find what works for you. It’s best to be able to use either one, depending on the angle and the distance.” Whether the Angle of the Arm Matters “It can be adjusted according to the situation and the opponent. If the person is farther away, you might reach out with your hook to cover that distance. But it’s better if you can throw it from up close. That’s where most of the power is.” Where the Power Comes From With the Right Hook “It comes from the exact same place as the straight right. The body mechanics are the same. The only difference is the angle the punch comes in. Whereas the straight right comes down the middle, the right hook circles around. You shouldn’t cut too wide or you’ll leave yourself open.” THE UPPERCUT What’s Technically Correct “When you teach a person how to throw the uppercut, you never swing it wide because that will telegraph it. You just shoot it from where your right fist is near your chin. To do that, you drop and then rotate as you bring your body up and let it go. The power comes from the act of standing up. All this gives you the correct base to work off. “But when you use it in a fight or in sparring, sometimes you end up reaching and looping with your arm. Let’s say your foe is coming after you. You throw a jab in his face and put him off-balance. He bends over a little, and you shoot an uppercut that’s really tight — you’re not going to land it. His head is already at your shoulder height, so you have to swing wider and lower. “It’s best to know how to do it right and how to modify it for different situations. Which one works is dictated by the situation. If he’s down on his knees, maybe your choice will be an uppercut that’s not technically correct and that telegraphs.” Where You Should Aim “The chin is the primary target, but you can also throw an uppercut to the body or the liver, depending on the angle. Usually, an uppercut to the body is used after you slip a punch and need to counter fast. You wouldn’t throw an uppercut to the body straight off the bat. You’d go for the chin in that situation. When you do land it on the chin, it usually puts him to sleep. If it doesn’t, it will set up a punch that will. “If you hit somebody on the street with this punch, you’re going to break his teeth and there’s going to be blood everywhere. His eyes will be watering. Even if he’s still standing, the fight is over technically — unless he wants to keep coming, but usually he won’t.” THE OVERHAND RIGHT What the Mechanics Are “The punch originates from where your right hand is positioned by your jaw. You make a semicircle over the top and come down on the target. The opponent doesn’t see it coming most of the time because he just sees you begin to fire a shot and then it’s gone — and then it hits him!” How It Combines “The overhand right combines well with the left uppercut because of how you align your body. When you throw a left uppercut, you tend to move up, and you’re rotating your body slightly to the right, which puts you in a perfect position to rotate back the other way and come down with an overhand right.” What It Targets “If you can hit your opponent on the temple with your overhand right, or even straight in the face or on the jaw, it will have an immense effect. The reason so many MMA fighters use it now is it’s so effective and so simple. “Of course, if you’re not wearing gloves and you hit someone in the head in a street fight, you could break your wrist or a bone in your hand. That can happen anytime the alignment of your hand and forearm is off or the force of the weapon hitting the target exceeds the strength of the bone. But I do know that I’ve hit people with the overhand right on the street and didn’t break any bones.” Whether You Can Take Steps to Mitigate the Damage “Some people say you can throw a punch with, say, 50-percent power in a fight. I doubt that. If you’re throwing a punch in a fight, it’s in reaction to what’s happening. That’s how you train to defend yourself. Is it going to be 50 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent? You can’t measure that. And you don’t have time to measure it. The action determines the response. “If the guy is small and doesn’t appear to be a serious threat — if he’s more of a nuisance — I’d restrain him. If he’s got a lot of fight in him, I’d hit him, but it wouldn’t be 50 percent.” Why Stopping the Threat Is the Mission “If it’s a real threat, nobody thinks, I’ll do this and this but not this. If you’re actually justified in hitting a person — if you can walk away, then walk away — but if you’re justified, just hit. Your mission is not to hurt him; it’s to eliminate the threat. I don’t mean you should kill him or anything, but you can’t do half measures. You have to hit until he goes down.” Photography by Cory Sorensen

This article was published in the April 1974 issue of Fighting Stars magazine, a sister publication of Black Belt. That means it appeared just five years after the original Star Trek was canceled and many years before the sci-fi series became a staple of film and television. At the time, William Shatner was not the international superstar he’s recognized as today. He was just an actor who’d had a good run on a series that happened to be set in space. And he was a martial artist. When the USS Enterprise abruptly splashed down from its three-year trek to the stars, angry fans denounced the TV “highthinkers” who chose to ground the space adventure with the hope of replacing it with an even higher-rated show. The industry captains never did find that higher-rated program, but the adventures of Capt. James T. Kirk and his Star Trek crew still delight science-fiction aficionados, even if only in syndication. Life on board the Enterprise must have been something else. The crew traveled more space miles in prime time than the entire NASA program from John Glenn to Skylab. The adventures of Capt. Kirk made the void of space so convincingly alive that real astronauts in Houston and Cape Canaveral sheepishly confessed that they, too — like millions of collegians, housewives, doctors, lawyers, and sci-fi fans — were addicted to the show. For William Shatner, life during Star Trek must have seemed rigidly controlled and cautious. Capt. Kirk’s adventures are not worth a moon rock compared to Shatner’s off-screen exploits as a Shakespearian actor, an athlete, and, lately, a karate practitioner. While the 37-year-old does not present an image of a decathlon champ, the years before Star Trek saw him rise to just about every physical challenge offered him. Now that he’s back on terra firma, Shatner’s everyday activities range through a multitude of sports, and on any given day, he can be seen fencing, swimming, racing cars, or even skydiving. “Hell,” he says with a satisfied-with-life grin, “I’ll do anything once.” When he was still a novice at films — after having gained a good reputation in plays by the Bard — Shatner sent shivers up the spines of directors who found him to be an uncanny horseman and amateur acrobat during the making of Westerns and war pics. Even during the years Star Trek was on the air, Shatner always insisted on doing his own fight scenes. “Looking back on the things I’ve done, I must be a little crazy,” he reflects. “But I’m constantly testing myself, both in athletics and acting. I’ve always believed that if you don’t define your limits by trying everything, you’ll never know your capabilities.” Shatner has defined his limits, all right. He didn’t set his sights on acting until after leaving McGill University in Montreal, where he majored in commerce. He then served a two-year stint as a member of the Stratford, Ontario, Shakespeare Festival, where the roles he played made him begin to practice fencing. He co-starred with such noted English stage stars as Alec Guinness, James Mason, Anthony Quayle, and Ann Todd. Shatner even had a starring role as Henry V. He studied more advanced sword and shield techniques and started lifting weights while preparing for a role in Alexander the Great. His successes distinguished him as a creative actor in such notable films as Judgment at Nuremberg and The Brothers Karamazov. More recently, he won kudos for his stunning performance in The Andersonville Trial on TV. Shatner followed his early film appearances with increasingly larger guest roles on top TV shows. He tested for the demanding part of Capt. Kirk and eventually landed it. Today, Shatner is reluctant to discuss the end of Star Trek, but he says he has fond memories of his years working on the series. The actor is a veteran boxer who, when time permitted, spent many arduous hours in the gym working with punching bags and a sparring partner. He’s respected as a man who is very able to handle his own action. “In various movies I’ve made, I was able to get rid of a lot of hostilities by punching the air, which is what film fights are all about,” Shatner says. “One always stops short of hitting the opponent. This requires a certain amount of knowledge. A screen fight is more exaggerated, but the mechanics of the fight remain the same.” Enter Karate In part, it was the physical demands put on William Shatner during the filming of Star Trek that aroused his curiosity about karate. While the show never depicted any of the crew members as skilled martial artists, the action was considerably more sophisticated than old-fashioned fisticuffs. “There were all types of things I had to be adept at — things like kicks and leg work,” Shatner says. “And all these things were constantly landing me on my ass. This made me realize I had a lot more to learn about combat, even for staged action. Stunt and fight work in films has been always a pet preoccupation of mine. I know when to let the stuntmen and true experts take over. But if I think I can do something without ending up in the hospital for too long, I’ll do it.” Shatner’s introduction to formal martial arts training came at the hands of an associate screenwriter/karate teacher named Tom Bleecker. “I did not run out and seek help immediately,” Shatner recalls. “In fact, I had to be pushed into the martial arts. The arts were an entirely new area for me, and I was not about to underestimate what an endeavor like taking karate would mean. I’d had a passing interest in karate, both the physical and philosophical aspects, but I wasn’t sure that the investment would pay off on-screen. And frankly, my time was limited, and I didn’t want to approach it half-baked. “My immediate concern was solely the Star Trek action. If knowledge of a sport enhances a film or TV segment I’m doing, I’m pretty quick to jump into it. But I’m not one to take uncalculated risks. If a leading actor gets himself hurt, he can cost the studio thousands of dollars in delayed shooting costs and put a lot of people out of work. But I thought I’d try it and at least start to pick up the basics of karate. I was also fascinated by the discipline.” In the two years he’s studied with Bleecker, Shatner has gained knowledge of how real fights happen. “Aside from the boxing and stunt techniques, I’d only had a few lessons in judo many years before,” he says. “I did not want to become a martial artist who would abuse karate’s fighting skills. I was more than aware a little knowledge of karate could be dangerous, but I rarely get into physical hassles. In fact, in any unavoidable fight, the only thing my opponent would most often see is my back.” Stimulation from an Active Life Despite his interest in the sport, Shatner admits to having found karate more of a stimulant than a drain of energy required for his work. “There are times when I am so tired, it’s an effort to even put on the gi,” he says. “But in making an effort to get out there and work for at least a half-hour, I find I get a second wind and go back to my acting with renewed vigor. “This might sound like a cop-out, but if I had the time, I would go for a black belt. I would put everything I have into the martial arts. I may have my own limits, but karate is an open endeavor for the ablest of athletes.” How does Shatner’s teacher feel about the actor’s progress? “His memory is incredible,” Bleecker says. “His discipline as an actor and his gift for total recall make him a prime student of karate. He is strong, coordinated, and fast. If we miss a week of work, when he returns, he finds it easy to remember exactly what he has learned and where we left off. He’s right on all the time.” It was that athletic ability that prompted Shatner to consider becoming a professional athlete. Equestrian riding, swimming, and football were possible goals for the young man. “I was a bit small for a pro football career,” he says, “but I was mean.” He may be mean, but he also has a passion for nature and the outdoors. He recently shot the rapids of the Salmon River in a kayak for television’s American Sportsman. And Shatner loves to take hunting trips where he can use his archery skills. “Hunting with a bow and arrow is a prime example of man’s need to be in harmony with nature,” he says. “I have to be one with my environment. Man is constantly violating the natural environment through pollution and a hectic pace of life. Though hunting has been ‘out’ lately, it really has been in for hundreds of thousands of years as the fundamental way of obtaining food. I think that when hunting as an archer, it gives the animal an equal chance with the predator, man. With a bow and arrow, hunting becomes a one-to-one relationship. With a gun, hunting is a completely different story.” Shatner amusingly recalls many hunting expeditions that yielded no game. He points to the impossibility of bagging game with a bow and arrow from distances where a gun would easily score a kill. “That is part of the limitation and challenge of hunting with arrows,” he says. “The basicness of archery appeals to me. But many times I have gone hunting with cameras, too.” Shatner sees the popularity of the martial arts as a potential cause for concern. “I once bred German shepherds, and the thing that made the dogs great was that only a few of them existed,” he says. “Now, the shepherd has had its fineness overbred because the demand for them has increased and breeders have to mass produce them. “It may be the same with karate. With so many people taking it, the beauty that is karate may be lost. The millions of novices, possibly including myself at this point, may be reducing the arts to a point of compromise where the greatness is left to only those very few dedicated masters. That would be a tragedy, but I suspect it’s what’s happening.” While Shatner has every intention of pursuing karate when and if he’s able, competition will play no part in his martial arts future. “There are too many accidents,” he says. “I’ve heard of people getting killed in competition. Also, my interest is in self-satisfaction through self-mastery of the arts. I don’t much care about proving that I can do someone else in.” Martial Entertainment Despite his acclaimed dramatic background, Shatner admits to being just a plain old popcorn-munching fan when it comes to escapist entertainment. “I’d rather go see a double feature of karate films than many Academy Award winners,” he says. “The cheaper, the better. It drives my wife up the wall. I love them!” On a more serious note, he doesn’t see much of a future in purely action-oriented martial arts films. And he says that the violence trend in movies may have reached its saturation point. “The arts can have a great future in movies if they are integrated into strong story structures,” he says. “A movie about violence isn’t a very lasting experience to behold. I think films in which both the action and the serenity of the martial arts philosophy were blended would be a tremendous success with a wide-ranging audience.” Coincidentally, Shatner and writer-sensei Bleecker have just such a script that they’re planning to produce. But at this stage, they’re evasive about the details. “Just as those studying martial arts must mature and hopefully explore the true depth of their endeavor, movies should do the same in their treatment of the arts,” Shatner says. “Look at the Kurosawa samurai films. There’s no reason why American moviemakers couldn’t do that kind of justice to their subjects.” Shatner says he holds out the firm hope that the Eastern influence provided by karate’s popularity in America may eventually prove beneficial to our violent society. “There’s always the possibility of the opposite, but I like to think it may appeal to the better side of people. I hope the net result will be peace in the world rather than just an army of citizens with deadly hands.” Quick to recommend karate to other actors, Shatner goes so far — in a tongue-in-cheek vein — as to claim it could be more beneficial than actual acting classes. “Of all the things to study in terms of physical preparedness as an actor, karate is the best,” he says. “You learn to give and take, to remember, to truly perceive — all the aspects of the ideal acting class. The essence of drama is conflicts, as is the essence of the martial arts, whether it be internal or external.” Meaning Behind Experience William Shatner has great regard for the enigmatic philosophies and morals inherent in the martial arts. “There are the apocryphal tales of the students who sit and wait in the rain for days, just to see the master for a moment,” he says. “Then they have to do menial jobs like raking leaves for months in order to prove that they really want to study, like the opening segment on Kung Fu when Caine is a boy. That is an illustration of real dedication and desire, which is very seldom seen on any level in modern society.” He recalls that his sensei used similar psychology with him when his interest in the arts began to develop. “When I’d finally decided to study, Tom was very cagey about it,” Shatner says. “And the cagier he was, the more I wanted to start studying. I found myself finally begging him to teach me. It was a good experience and just the kind of reverse-psychological kick I needed.” Although he enjoys Kung Fu as entertainment, Shatner finds flaws in the show in that Caine is never afflicted by his encounters with people in the Old West. He profoundly affects them, yet he’s never forced to re-evaluate his attitudes. “But on the other hand, I suppose the first time he got drunk in a bar and got into a brawl, that would be the end of the character,” Shatner adds. Although he doesn’t recall having had any misconceptions about karate before he studied, Shatner, who’s ranked as an orange belt, claims to have had pleasant discoveries in his current training. “The kata I found to be particularly intriguing in their rhythmic and symmetrical beauty,” he says. “I have no formal dance training, but I greatly appreciate the dance-like kata. They’re really open to interpretation and aren’t just exercises to be done by rote.” Recalling his many physical endeavors squeezed into his busy life, Shatner is reflective. “I want to savor it all before I’m too old to do it,” he says. “Some people might say that studying karate or even doing an occasional action film might limit my career — that afterwards, I’d be typecast in only those kinds of roles. I don’t think that’s a valid pitfall. “I’ve never been typecast in the first place. If an actor can do only one thing, there is that danger. But if he’s been fortunate enough to spread his ability around to a number of fields, he’ll never be limited in what he does as an actor or as an individual. “I may have spread myself too thin, and that is always a danger. I’m the kind of person who likes to advance and better myself in several things simultaneously.” The end result is the proof: William Shatner — athlete, martial artist, actor, and ex-captain of the starship Enterprise — knows what he’s talking about. Photography by Ed Ikuta

UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place in Edmonton brought an electrifying night of MMA action, concluding with a hard-fought main event where Brandon Moreno emerged victorious over Amir Albazi via unanimous decision. Fans filled the arena with an attendance of 16,439, raking in a live gate of $2,600,463. The 13-bout lineup delivered unforgettable moments, and several fighters walked away with well-earned bonuses. Here are the Results of UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Albazi.. Main Card Results Main Event (Flyweight): Brandon Moreno  def. Amir Albazi  via Unanimous DecisionMoreno showcased his champion spirit with superior technique, outscoring Albazi across five grueling rounds. His precise striking and dynamic movement sealed the victory, leaving no doubt among the judges. Co-Main Event (Women’s Flyweight): Erin Blanchfield  def. Rose Namajunas  via Unanimous DecisionBlanchfield continued her rise by neutralising Namajunas’ offense and dominating through each round, proving herself as a formidable force in the flyweight division. Light Heavyweight: Vitor Petrino Ribeiro  def. Caio Machado  via Split DecisionIn a close, back-and-forth battle, Ribeiro edged out Machado with a split decision, showing tenacity and power in this light heavyweight clash. Female Flyweight: Jasmine Jasudavicius  def. Ariane Lipski da Silva  via Submission (D’arce Choke) at 2:28 of Round 3Jasudavicius claimed a thrilling submission victory, locking in a D’arce choke on Lipski da Silva. Her performance earned her a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus . Middleweight: Dustin Stoltzfus  def. Marc-André Barriault  via KO/TKO (Right Hook to Ground Strikes) at 4:28 of Round 1Stoltzfus showcased knockout power, finishing Barriault with a powerful right hook. His spectacular win earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus . Welterweight: Mike Malott  def. Trevin Giles  via Unanimous DecisionMalott showcased skill and endurance, convincingly defeating Giles through three rounds for a unanimous decision win. Preliminary Card Results Bantamweight: Aiemann Zahabi  def. Pedro Munhoz  via Unanimous DecisionZahabi’s composed game plan helped him outpoint Munhoz, securing a clear victory in the bantamweight division. Bantamweight: Charles Jourdain  def. Victor Henry  via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 3:43 of Round 2Jourdain displayed his grappling prowess with a swift guillotine choke finish. This exciting win earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus . Featherweight: Youssef Zalal  def. Jack Shore  via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 0:59 of Round 2Zalal made quick work of Shore, securing an arm triangle choke in the second round. His flawless execution earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus . Heavyweight: Alexander Romanov  def. Augusto Sakai  via Unanimous DecisionRomanov’s controlled performance ensured a unanimous decision over Sakai, demonstrating his grappling dominance in the heavyweight division. Bantamweight: Blake Sidey  def. Garrett Armfield  via Split DecisionSidey earned a hard-fought split decision in a close bout against Armfield, showcasing resilience. Bantamweight: Isaiah Gibson  def. T.J. Anheliger  via Unanimous DecisionGibson’s technical striking and takedown defense secured him a unanimous decision win over Anheliger. Female Flyweight: Diana Horth  def. Jovana Petrović  via Split DecisionHorth edged out Petrović in a tightly contested split decision, closing out an action-packed preliminary card. Fight Night Bonuses ($50,000 Each) Performance of the Night:  Jasmine Jasudavicius for her D’arce choke submission win over Ariane Lipski da Silva. Performance of the Night:  Dustin Stoltzfus for his KO/TKO victory against Marc-André Barriault. Performance of the Night:  Charles Jourdain for his guillotine choke win over Victor Henry. Performance of the Night:  Youssef Zalal for his arm triangle submission victory against Jack Shore. This electrifying night reaffirmed UFC Fight Night as a premier showcase of elite MMA talent, delivering action, grit, and skill in every bout.

UFC is back at the UFC APEX with an exciting welterweight fight featuring the No. 15 ranked contender Neil Magny and the emerging talent Carlos Prates . Additionally, renowned international middleweight Reinier de Ridder will make his UFC debut against the experienced Gerald Meerschaert . UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MAGNY vs PRATES is set for Saturday, November 9 in Las Vegas and will be exclusively available on ESPN+ (English and Spanish). The prelims start at 4pm ET/1pm PT, followed by the main card at 7pm ET/4pm PT. UFC Fight Night: Magny vs Prates Official Weigh-In Results: MAIN CARD Main Event - Welterweight Bout: Neil Magny (171) vs Carlos Prates (170.5)   Co-Main Event - Middleweight Bout: Gerald Meerschaert (185) vs Reinier de Ridder (185)  Bantamweight Bout: Gaston Bolanos (135.5) vs Cortavious Romious (136)   Women’s Strawweight Bout: Luana Pinheiro (115.5) vs Gillian Robertson (116) Middleweight Bout: Mansur Abdul-Malik (186) vs Duško Todorović (185.5) PRELIMS Women’s Strawweight Bout: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (115.5) vs Denise Gomes (115) Welterweight Bout: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (171) vs Zach Scroggin (174)** Welterweight Bout: Matthew Semelsberger (171) vs Charles Radtke (170.5)   Bantamweight Bout: Cody Stamann (135.5) vs Da’Mon Blackshear (135.5) Middleweight Bout: Tresean Gore (186) vs Antonio Trocoli (186)     Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Melissa Mullins (137)*** vs Klaudia Syguła (136) *Ricky Turcios' fight against Benardo Sopaj has been canceled due to a medical issue on Turcios' side. **Zach Scroggin exceeded the welterweight limit of 171 pounds during the weigh-in. As a result, he will forfeit 20% of his purse to his opponent, but the fight will continue as planned. ***Melissa Mullins also exceeded the bantamweight limit of 136 pounds during the weigh-in. Similar to Scroggin, she will forfeit 20% of her purse to her opponent, but the fight will proceed as scheduled.