He Should Do Something Other Than Thinking About Himself Cris Cyborg Hits out at Dana White – Essentially Sports

Cris Cyborg and Dana White never had a steady relationship. The former UFC Womens Featherweight champion is not very fond of Dana Whites idea of Fight Island.

The current Bellator Womens Featherweight champion, Cyborg, appeared on The No-Sports Report with Jensen Karp. She mentioned that the rules of quarantine are uniformly applicable to everyone. Furthermore, Justino accused her former boss, Dana White, of being self-obsessed.

Everybody has to be quarantined, said Justino. Its the rules for everyone. You know a lot of people dont want to be home. A lot of people are struggling now, and I think he should do something (other) than just think about himself and boxing and MMA fights. I think its better to wait, like everyone respect everyone,she added.

Dana White floated the idea of fight island when state regulations forced him out of conducting events. However, it has remained an enigmatic thought as of yet. Fighters and analysts have discussed at lengths about it. But until there is a much more concrete announcement, there will be a shroud of uncertainty over the concept.

Before Cyborg, Bellators President Scott Coker also expressed his displeasure with Whites plans. Danas competitor, Scott, asserted that there are more important things in life right now than fighting. He also ridiculed the idea by comparing it to the Bruce Lee movie, Enter the Dragon.

The Bellator Womens Featherweight champ kept her views in-sync with that of the organization she fights for. She added that the plan can put the health of many people in jeopardy.

A fighter steps inside the Octagon all alone. However, the preparation before the fight involves interaction with other people. Furthermore, the fighter will get back together with his/her family after fighting.

Therefore, all such interactions will bring along with them the risk of the spread of the virus.

Even though the fighters have to be together for training, you could say, OK, Im going to make an event now. Do you think if you (did) say, OK, Cris, youre going to have a fight, Im going to have to make my team?

You know, I have to put my team together. We are going to be together, training. Then you put the risk of the family around you. You know, I think you had to wait and have respect for the process. Be patient.

Cyborgs split with the UFC happened after her loss against Amanda Nunes. The Brazilian decided against renewing her contract. From the time she has been in Bellator, she had argued that her current employer is much more employee-friendly than the UFC.

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He Should Do Something Other Than Thinking About Himself Cris Cyborg Hits out at Dana White - Essentially Sports

Cris Cyborg Reveals Superfight but Not Where You’d Expect – Heavy.com

Bellators newly crowned womens featherweight champion Cris Cyborg still hopes to track down her white whale before calling it a career. Cyborg, whose real name is Cristiane Justino, revealed on The No-Sports Report podcast with Jensen Karp that shed love the chance to square off against Ronda Rousey in either a cage fight or pro wrestling ring.

Imagine if this happened, Cyborg said. The fans would go crazy I think is going to be great.

Cyborg and Rousey were once bitter rivals that seemed to be on a collision course. But what would have been one of the most massive superfights in womens MMA history was complicated by the fighters competing in different weight classes and then derailed after Rousey shockingly suffered stoppage losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.

Rousey retired from MMA after her last loss in 2016.

VideoVideo related to cris cyborg reveals superfight but not where youdexpect2020-04-15T14:09:53-04:00

While Cyborg said shed still be willing to face Rousey in MMA, it seems the 34-year-old Brazilian knows that the possibility of a Cyborg vs. Rousey fight at this stage is a longshot at best, and that her top chance at getting her hands on Rousey would be in a pro wrestling ring.

Its going to be nice, you know, I think its cool, Cyborg said. If, you know, we have the opportunity to have [the match] in MMA, to have the opportunity to in pro-wrestling, I think is going to be great.

Rousey, 33, was one of the highest-paid WWE performers between 2017 and 2018 before taking time off from the grind to be with her family. While shes been in the news as of late for what some consider dissing WWE fans and the sports entertainment business as a whole, its also possible shes been leaning into inflammatory comments as part of a return storyline.

And it sounds as if Cyborg would love to be part of that return.

Yeah, Im open to do it, Cyborg said. I know shes already there. I know she likes to do it, and here we can do something cool. I think for the fans, for them, I think its going to be very cool. Epic.

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Cyborg said she was up to the challenge that competing as a WWE superstar would bring. While shes currently one of Bellators divisional champs and also has plans to compete as a boxer against undisputed welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus, Cyborg also aims someday to add pro wrestling to her impressive list of credentials so long as it doesnt interfere with her true calling as a mixed martial artist.

I like challenging my career and my fans like that, Cyborg said. They know theyre gonna follow me wherever were going, but I dont think Im going to let us stop doing MMA for the WWE, but if we could have the opportunities be there at some point in my career, it is going to be nice.

READ NEXT: Ronda Rousey Rips WWE Fans and Wrestlers

Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson

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Cris Cyborg Reveals Superfight but Not Where You'd Expect - Heavy.com

Scientists create tiny devices that work like the human brain – The Independent

A major computing breakthrough has allowed researchers to develop ultra-low power devices capable of operating at the same voltage level as a brain.

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst figured out a way to use biological, electricity conducting filaments to make an electronic memory device known as a memristor.

Using protein nanowires developed from the bacterium Geobacter, the scientists realised they could create a device as power-efficient as a human brain synapse. Details of the new technology were published in the journalNature Communications.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

"People probably didn't even dare to hope that we could create a device that is as power-efficient as the biological counterparts in a brain, but now we have realistic evidence of ultra-low power computing capabilities," said computer engineering researcher and co-author Jun Yao.

"It's a concept breakthrough and we think it's going to cause a lot of exploration in electronics that work in the biological voltage regime."

Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy.

Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter

Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100

Google

Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019

Reuters

Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020

Getty

Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB

Apple

Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash

PA

Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once

AFP/Getty

India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology

EPA

5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s

Getty

Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018

Getty

A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore

Getty

A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore

Getty

Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea

Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty

Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea

Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty

The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company

Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty

Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea

Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty

Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi

Rex

Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session

Rex

A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

Reuters

A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

Reuters

A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China

Rex

A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China

Reuters

A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China

Reuters

A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London

Getty

A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv

Getty

Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy.

Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter

Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100

Google

Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019

Reuters

Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020

Getty

Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB

Apple

Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash

PA

Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once

AFP/Getty

India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology

EPA

5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s

Getty

Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018

Getty

A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore

Getty

A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore

Getty

Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea

Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty

Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea

Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty

The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company

Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty

Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea

Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty

Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi

Rex

Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session

Rex

A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

Reuters

A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

Reuters

A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China

Rex

A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China

Reuters

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Scientists create tiny devices that work like the human brain - The Independent

UFC In The 2010s: Looking Back At Female Featherweight Division – The MIX

Created in 2017, the UFCs female featherweight division is currently led by Amanda Nunes.

Three females in all have held the title with Cris Cyborg and Germaine de Randamie joining Nunes.

As the moment, Nunes holds both the featherweight and bantamweight championships.

Make sure to check out FightLine at The Mix for recaps from the other divisions.

At UFC 232 in Inglewood, California on December 29, 2018, Amanda Nunes made history.

The Brazilian stopped Cris Cyborg as the reigning UFC featherweight champion, becoming a two-division titleholder.

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Nunes has held the featherweight title for over 460 days. She has yet to defend the belt.

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UFC In The 2010s: Looking Back At Female Featherweight Division - The MIX

Local gallopers set their sights on Wagga Guineas – Tumut and Adelong Times

Cyborg, pictured here winning at Wagga last start, will be one of the leading chances in the Murrumbidgee Turf Club Guineas prelude on Sunday. Photo: Trackpix Racing Photography.

The Tumut owned Cyborg will head a stronglocal contingent of three-year-olds taking on the Murrumbidgee Turf ClubGuineas Prelude at Wagga on Sunday.

The 1400m Benchmark 66 event carries aprize purse of $32,470 and is a precursor to the rich Murrumbidgee Turf ClubGuineas that will be held on May 1.

Cyborg, who is part owned by the ODonovanand Shanahan families, will be prepared by Canberra trainer Norm Gardner andridden Brendan Ward.

Connections will be confident too, afterdrawing gate five and calling on some very good recent form.

The three-year-old has won two from six andshowcased his potential last time out at Wagga, coming from last to run overhis opposition in an empathic 0.53 of a length victory.

The Canberra trainer believes his charge isa genuine winning chance, suggesting he is drawn to get a good run in behindthe early lamplighters.

I think he is truly up to the standard ofthis type of race and he is good chance, Gardner said.

He has drawn well; he is going super and Ithink he has a good chance of winning.

Gardner is hopeful that Cyborg will qualifyfor the MTC Guineas that will be run on the first day in May and said there isonly one thing that could get in the way of their grand plans.

If he qualifies for the (MTC) Guineas, hewill be in the Guineas, plain and simple, but we will need to see how he runsthe 1400m trip out and if he does that, we should be there next month, Gardnersaid.

Another major chance is the Tumbarumbaowned and trained My Solaki, who will be prepared by George Dimitropoulos andridden by NSWs leading jockey, Blaike McDougall.

The Supreme Class gelding showed some realgrit last time out at Gundagai, sitting outside of the early leaders before kickingaway and holding on for a 0.29 of a length win in an 1180m Maiden Handicap.

Connections draw gate four andDimitropoulos made it no secret that he believed My Solaki was up to this classof race.

He is going good enough for a race likethe (MTC) Guineas, so we thought we would give him a chance, Dimitropoulossaid.

The Tumbarumba trainer, who is currentlyworking his horses at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club, explained that his runner wasa tough, no nonsense type.

They will have to run him down, he will beup there and he is the type that will keep on going and going, Dimitropoulossaid.

Kerry Weir will also prepare his maidenrunner Crocodile Cod for the Benchmark 66 event and the Tumut trainer was happyto spruik the chances of his enigmatic three-year-old.

I know his last run at Gundagai looksreally ordinary but he is a massive big horse and just cant stop and start inraces like he did and he just needs to keep rolling, Weir said.

He takes another half stride compared toother horses but he needs momentum and I think he will go a lot better on thebig Wagga track.

The Cluster gelding, who will have AdrianLayt in the saddle, has certainly shown glimpses of his ability and Weirbelieves the Tumut runner is a chance of finishing top three but admitted itwill be hard for his maiden horses to beat performed runners.

He is tough as all nails and I think he isa 2000m type in the long run, but he is a big young horse and it is always hardwith maidens taking horses that have won a few, Weir said.

He is a definite chance of running topthree.

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Local gallopers set their sights on Wagga Guineas - Tumut and Adelong Times

Justice League 2 Is Not Coming Soon: How Much Time Will It Take?? Whats The Plot And … – Union Journalism

Justice League is an American superhero film released in the year 2017. It was based on the DC superhero team Justice League. The movie was released as a follow-up to Batman v/s Superman: Dawn of Justice released in 2016. It was the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe. The film involves the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg recruited by Batman and Wonder Woman, after Supermans death. Their mission was to save the world from Steppenwolf and his army of Para demons. The movie received mixed reviews from the audience as well as the critics. The movie was praised for the action and performance. But faced criticisms for the plot, villain, and overuse of graphics.

The next movie was first scheduled to be released on 14th June 2019. But the truth is that we cant expect for the Justice League 2 before 2021. So far, no more updates regarding the movie are available. We can see a united event film from Warner Bros, but unfortunately, it wont be Justice League 2.

The story will revolve around the team fighting against the new villain. As the first film ended with a promise for a villain, we can definitely expect a sequel based on this. Lex Luthor escaped from Arkham Asylum and creates a team with assassin Deathstroke.

We can expect Gal Gadot to be seen as Wonder Woman. Jason Momoa will be back as Aquaman. We can also expect Ray Fisher as Cyborg and Ezra Miller as the Flash. However, the cast of Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman still remains doubtful.

We can expect Justice League 2, but its not sure when. Given the latest news and updates, fans have to wait at least till the end of the year 2021, to see their favorite heroes on the screen.

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Justice League 2 Is Not Coming Soon: How Much Time Will It Take?? Whats The Plot And ... - Union Journalism

As the Coronavirus Spreads, Conspiracy Theories Are Going Viral Too – Foreign Policy

Long dismissed as absurd, conspiracy theorists on social media are increasingly posing a potential global threatand becoming an asset for states looking to disrupt the geopolitical narrative and spread disinformation.

In the context of the global COVID-19 crisis, conspiracy theories have exploded across digital news sites and social media. While propaganda campaigns amid pandemics are nothing new, what is new in the current crisis is the global information environment in which it is playing out. The all-too-real impacts and stresses of the pandemic feed into the preexisting dynamics of the online information ecosystem, amplifying rumors, misinformation, conspiracies, and outright lies. For governments seeking to build trust and communicate clearly, its a nightmare. For those looking to sow chaos and doubt, its an opportunity.

There is a concept in social media studies known as context collapse. Usually attributed to the researcher Danah Boyd, it refers to the way in which social media platforms take messages that the sender intended to be seen by one audience in a given context and serve them up to others who were not the intended targets.

[Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak: Get daily updates on the pandemic and learn how its affecting countries around the world.]

Chances are youve experienced it yourself. Many of us have felt the awkwardness of posting a joke on Facebook with the intention of sharing it with your friends and instead your grandma replies or making some less-than-professional comments on a personal Twitter account only to have your boss bring it up on Monday. The nature of social media platforms has a way of smashing social contexts into one another so that messages tailored for one audience end up hitting others as well and being interpreted in unanticipated ways.

What the COVID-19 crisis is demonstrating is that this dynamic does not just apply to individual social media users managing personal and professional relationships; it also applies to the cacophony of conspiracy theories raging across the screens and through the minds of social media users around the world.

In the past, pandemic-related conspiracy theories and rumors in London, Tehran, Kinshasa, Shenzhen, and Moscow would have been different. In an era of global social media platforms, however, the dynamics of context collapse mean that conspiracy theories promoted by users in one place are colliding with users in others. The fragmented nature of social media chops conspiracies into little piecesa factoid here, a false claim therecreating a kind of information petri dish for conspiracy cross-propagation, allowing half-true facts, decontextualized narratives, and false beliefs to flow and fold into one another and spread rapidly across the world.

One of the key ways in which this happens is through the use of hashtags. Common conspiracy hashtags, for example #coronahoax or #covid19hoax, are used by multiple groups of conspiracists in various countries and serve as vectors of transmission between them as, for example, 5G and anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists scroll through the hashtag and encounter far-right or QAnon content and vice versa. Conspiracy theorists also actively use hashtags to attempt to spread their message around the world, for example by using multiple region-specific hashtags.

This conspiracy theory contagion has the overall effect of amplifying and strengthening conspiracy theories, partly due to the nature of social media algorithms, which are designed to optimize for engagement. On a basic level, the more conspiracists you have believing in a particular untruth, the more content they generate promoting that untruth and the more they engage with that content.

For example, there could be five different conspiracy theories, but if they all contain the untruth that the coronavirus was created in the Fort Detrick lab in Maryland, the result overall is far more content connecting Fort Detrick to COVID-19 than would have been the case if the untruth were confined to one conspiracy. Algorithms designed to optimize for engagement will factor in the high level of engagement on content that connects Fort Detrick to COVID-19 and start actively recommending the conspiracy to other users. For example, as of April 8, Googles top recommended related searches for Fort Detrick included Fort Detrick coronavirus and Fort Detrick bioweapon.

These dynamics are having real-world consequences. For example, recent attacks on telecommunications infrastructure in the United Kingdom have been directly linked to conspiracy theories in which the COVID-19 crisis has been folded into existing anti-vaccination and anti-5G narratives. Conspiracy theories about the supposed health effects of 5G have been spreading like wildfire across social media in recent years, in part because the conspiracy often runs through long-established anti-vaccination groups, many of which now believe 5G is either causing illness directly or that it is a deliberate effort to use radiation to weaken immune systems to force everyone to accept vaccinations.

The specifics of how COVID-19 is grafted onto these preexisting conspiracies vary; some say the coronavirus crisis is a cover to fast-track the implementation of 5G networks, while others believe 5G trials in Wuhan, China, damaged the immune systems of residents as part of a wider plan to impose forced vaccinations. Some claim that maps of 5G hot spots match up with COVID-19 outbreaks or think it has something to do with interfering with atmospheric oxygen (or maybe its a plan to turn humanity into cyborgs, which is also in there). Some strains combine all of the above, spinning a nonsensical narrative about an effort by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to depopulate the planet using vaccines, 5G, and the coronavirus.

Google has banned advertising on search terms related to the 5G coronavirus conspiracy, and Twitter and Facebook are increasing their efforts to crack down on 5G coronavirus conspiracies on their platforms. It is not clear that this will be successful in preventing the spread of the conspiracy, however, firstly because removing conspiracy content can itself fuel conspiracies by creating a sense of victimization and being censored (Heres what they dont want you to know!) and secondly because the widespread mainstream media coverage that followed the attacks and highlighted the conspiracy will inevitably drive more users to search for information about it, thereby both spreading the theory and driving algorithmic feedback loops.

Acts of alleged domestic terrorism have also been linked to coronavirus-related conspiracies in recent weeks. In the United States, on March 31, 44-year-old Eduardo Moreno deliberately derailed a train in the Port of Los Angeles near the USNS Mercy, a naval ship being used in COVID-19 response efforts.

In his interview with the police, Moreno said his goal was to draw attention to the Mercy, which he believed had an alternate purpose related to COVID-19 or a government takeover. The case is being investigated by both the Los Angeles Port Police and the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force. It is not clear yet which of several possible conspiracy theories about the Mercy Moreno subscribes toa fact that speaks volumes in itself.

Beyond domestic terrorism concerns, and broader concerns about the erosion of truth and trust in basic facts, the dynamics of conspiracy collapse matter geopolitically because it makes conspiracy theories a tremendously resource-efficient way for state actors and others to contest or undermine basic facts.

Russia has used conspiracy theories as a weapon against the West for decades. In a fascinating parallel to today, during the 1980s the Kremlin engaged in a yearslong disinformation campaign known as Operation Infektion to spread the conspiracy theory that HIV was a bioweapon created by the United Statesalso in Fort Detrick, which has become a staple of bioweapons conspiracy theories and also featured in conspiracies about Ebola and anthrax. History doesnt repeat itself, but it can be digitally remastered.

Operation Infektion was a long-term, resource-intensive campaign involving multiple Soviet-funded print and radio outlets and took months and in some cases years to disseminate its narrative across the world. Todays conspiracies, by contrast, are launched into an global information infrastructure optimized for virality.

In 2020, conspiracy theories can reach almost anywhere, almost instantly, and at incredibly low cost. The internet has also helped erode the gatekeeping powers of traditional media, allowing all sorts of convenient fellow travelersdomestic conspiracy theorists, political pundits, concerned and confused ordinary social media usersto become witting or unwitting vectors, producing content and amplifying the narrative independently at no cost at all. The evolution of the information environment in recent decades has served to make conspiracy theories a vastly quicker, cheaper, and more effective tool for spreading distrust and disinformation.

Russia has been quick to grasp the opportunities presented by the new information environment. Increasingly, it appears China is also coming to see the appeal. Chinese state media outlets and diplomats on Twitter have fostered multiple conspiracy theories about the coronavirus, whether by amplifying fringe Western media outlets to promote a U.S. origin conspiracy narrative or through twisting the words of the Italian doctor Giuseppe Remuzzi to imply the virus might have originated in Italy.

What this reaffirms is that the actual details of the conspiracy dont matter much, so long as it sows confusion and doubt. Instead of the laborious planting of narratives involved in other forms of information operations, its more like tossing a handful of dandelion seeds into the wind; all you have to do is wait and see how far they spread.

You dont even have to supply the seeds yourself; its easier and more effective to harvest whats already growing. Take the case of Maatje Benassi, a 52-year-old cyclist who races for the U.S. Military Endurance Sports Team. On March 23, the U.S. conspiracy theorist George Webb published a video on YouTube, labeling her as the patient zero who transmitted the COVID-19 bioweapon from Fort Detrick to China when she competed at the Military World Games in Wuhan in October 2019. (It should be emphasized that there is no evidence whatsoever for this conspiracy theory.) Webb is a well-established YouTuber with a long back catalogue of largely U.S.-centric conspiracy promotion, and his video about Benassi appears to have been aimed squarely at his usual audience of conspiracy and right-wing viewers. But this time, others were watching too.

Chinese state media outlets picked up the conspiracy, amplifying it across multiple Chinese-language outlets and on WeChat. Google Trends data shows a surge in interest in Benassi, particularly from China and other parts of Asia, on March 24. Enough users have been searching for the conspiracy that Google recommends Maatje Benassi coronavirus and Maatje Benassi patient zero as related searches for Benassis name. Within days, the conspiracy was running riot across Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in a range of languages and had been picked up by digital media around the world from Indonesia to Iran and Kashmir to Cuba.

Benassis case is far from unique. Similar dynamics are playing out across multiple conspiracy narratives. For example, the Czech research scientist Sona Pekova commented in an interview with a Slovak TV channel that she believed some mutations in the virus did not appear to be of natural origin (although she later clarified that she was not claiming they were definitely artificial either, only atypical).

In an eerie parallel to what happened to the Italian doctor, Pekovas comments were picked up by a Hong Kong-based pro-China media outlet under the headline Czech molecular biologist, Dr. Soa Pekov explains in layman terms that COVID-19 virus originates from a lab in U.S. and not China. (She didnt.) The story claimed that Pekova had said that it is not China that needs to refute anything about this theory [that the virus was created in a lab]. Pekova in fact said nothing of the kind in the interview, but this has not stopped the article from being widely promoted across social media as evidence for the U.S. origin conspiracy.

Another case is Huang Yanling, a Chinese research scientist who yet another YouTube conspiracy video blamed for having created COVID-19 in a lab in Wuhan. The video was picked up by U.S. pro-Trump media, and Huangs name is now being splashed around social media.

The global response to COVID-19 has been marked by critical shortagesof ventilators, masks, and protective equipment. There is, however, another resource with a rapidly dwindling supply: public trust. Trust in governments and medical authorities is absolutely vital to achieve the kind of mass behavioral change needed to bring the world through this crisis. The corrosive effects of conspiracy theories on social media, combined with nation-states all too willing to exploit them, imperil that response and could prove fatal in more ways than one.

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As the Coronavirus Spreads, Conspiracy Theories Are Going Viral Too - Foreign Policy

Justice League TV series is in the works from JJ Abrams – RadioTimes

Calling all DC fans: a Justice League TV series is now in development.

Well, sort of. Rather than being based on the current roster of superheroes in the DC cinematic universe (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman and The Flash), the new TV series from JJ Abrams production company Bad Robot will be set in the set in the Justice League Dark universe.

Introduced to the comic-book world in 2011, Justice League Dark is a team-up of lesser-known DC heroes, such as John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Doctor Mist and many others.

Rather than tackling the usual supercharged baddies such as Steppenwolf, the Justice League Dark is known for taking on more supernatural foes.

This wont be the first time weve seen the team on screen, however an animated movie set in the Justice League Dark universe was released in 2017.

A new Justice League Dark project has been in the works since 2013, with director Guillermo del Toro having previously penned a script for a movie based on the comics. DC even announced a Justice League Dark film in 2019, but this project is expected to be abandoned in light of the new TV show.

The new series will air on streaming service HBO Max, set to launch in the US in May. Its currently not clear how UK viewers will be able to view the series.

Justice League Dark marks the latest DC series to be commissioned by HBO Max, following an Aquaman animated miniseries and Green Lantern show.

If youre looking for more to watch check out ourTV guide.

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Justice League TV series is in the works from JJ Abrams - RadioTimes

It Puts the UFC on the Same Level as NBA and NFL Ronda Rousey Defends UFC Sponsorship Deal – Essentially Sports

UFCs sponsorship deal with Reebok was one of the most controversial moves in the companys history. Some fighters even compared it to slavery. However, Ronda Rousey believes that the move was necessary to bring UFC at par with the major leagues of the USA.

The former UFC Womens Bantamweight champion appeared on the Steve-Os newWild Ride podcast. She reasoned that the deal ensures a threshold sponsorship pay for everyone.

Well, I mean its not that they get nothing, said Ronda. Its that everybody gets a split share. So instead of having a whole bunch of people having a whole bunch of individual sponsors all over themself, everybody gets a share of the Reebok sponsor, whatever theyre paying.

The UFC inked its sponsorship deal with Reebok in 2015. As per the terms of the deal, fighters could no longer have individual sponsorship. Moreover, they couldnt wear apparels, before or after the fight, that had logos of any other brand than Reebok.

Reebok was, however, not involved with how the fighters were compensated. The UFC paid fighters, for each fight, according to their experience. The major issue with several fighters was that they were making more money with their sponsorship deals. However, Ronda argued that the change was necessary to bring the UFC at par with the NBA and NFL.

Its kind of the standard that has been set by other sports. UFC was unique in that, and when they were smaller, that was part of the hustle. As they got bigger and mainstream some of those smaller characteristics kind of got lost, because if they wanted to be looked at on the same level as the NBA and the NFL and fking baseball and all that st, they have to kind of adapt their model a little bit more.

The UFC has come a long way from the time it made the deal. The organisation is now a part of mainstream sports not just in the UFC, but globally. Fighters pay has increased substantially. Moreover, several fighters have become household names, unlike five years ago.

However, the UFC still comes across the radar for being an organization that promotes itself more than the fighters. The fighters on the companys roster are still individual contractors and not full-time employees. Fighters, such as Cris Cyborg, have enjoyed the freedom that they received after leaving the UFC and joining another promotion.

The sponsorship deal will be completing its tenure next year in 2021. How the UFC proceeds further will define its stand on the importance it places on the voices of its employees. It can either cut the chord with Reebok or extend the deal further. If the first case happens then the fighters will be free to go ahead with their sponsors.

What do you think will be the UFCs plan of action with the deal next year?

Continue the conversation on Telegram, join other MMA fans on MMA Fans Group

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It Puts the UFC on the Same Level as NBA and NFL Ronda Rousey Defends UFC Sponsorship Deal - Essentially Sports

10 Teen Titans Cosplay That Look Just Like The Comics | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Over the years, there have been many characters that were teammates under the Teen Titans moniker, including Wonder Girl to Kid Flash, but the most famous version of the group seems to have been put together in the 1980s:Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, and the ever-present Robin as the defacto leader.

This version of the team has gained legions of fans thanks toCartoon Network's animated series from the 2000s, itsTeen Titans Go spinoff, and DC Universe's live-action Titans series. Naturally, these fans like to honor their favorite members of the team by dressing up as them, often, naturally, in groups.

RELATED:Teen Titans: The Team's 10 Strongest Members, Ranked

Today, we're sharing some of our favorite Teen Titans cosplayers out there, who look like they've stepped right out from the pages of the comics. And remember, because a picture can still tell a thousand words, beware of spoilers.

Since the beginning, there's usually been a Robin on the Teen Titans team. Sure, they haven't always been the same Robin, but there's usually some form of Robin. This cosplayerseems to be channeling Damian Wayne, who was notably "Robin V" during the Post-Rebirth era.

This photo appears to be taken at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre and Instagram user cosplay.k.i.n.g, who shared the photo creditsrosequincosplay for photography.

Of course, Robin doesn't always stay Batman's elfish, little sidekick. After all, he's practically the leader of the Titans. So, we sometimes see him progress into his older alter-ego, Nightwing. Usually, this isDick Grayson's alter-ego, but, just like "Robin," other characters sometimes take up the moniker.

Instragram userjustwhelmed_cosplayshared this photo for "Titans Tuesday," channeling Dick Grayson, at least according to the hashtags, creditingaderriere . for the photo.

In this shoot, we see cosplayers posing as Beast Boy, a green shapeshifter who has the power to transform into various animals, here seemingly turning into a dragon, and Terra, who has power over the element of earth, hanging out together. The two had something of a relationship in the original comics...until it turned out that Terra was an evil mole out to betray the Titans all along. Of course, some fans prefer to ignore that little detail...

RELATED:Teen Titans: The 5 Most Powerful Members (& The 5 Least Powerful)

Instagram userjupiter.cosplayshared this photo, withBeast Boy being played byzack.wilkesand Terra being played byjupiter.cosplay, with photography fromeric_manix_photography.

In this cosplay shoot, we see the five famous Titans dressed like they are getting ready for class or maybe just a casual hang-out.

Instagram userpdxacrylickshared this photo, creditingdavidvelezphotographyfor photography and sending a shout-out to _picolo(artist Gabriel Picolo, whose known for his "casual" artwork of the team). Rounding out the rest of the cast areRobin, played bymyherozak, Raven, played byattackonmorgan, and Cyborg, played byemceecosplay.

Gabriel Picolo's work has inspired quite a few fans, it seems. In this piece, we see Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven all hanging about with a special guest: Statfire's sister. Blackfire. The two sisters aren't exactly the best of friends, what with Blackfire having sold Starfire into slavery and stealing her throne. Of course, some versions aren't as bad as others, so hopefully, they're channeling one of those less evil versions of Blackfire...or else she is probably up to something...

Instagram groupmagic_mo_cosplayshared this photo of the Titans hanging out, once again sending their thanks to _picolofor his work.

Princess Koriand'r, better known as Starfire, is one of the strongest characters on the team, especially considering she was trained by warlords since she was young. Despite this, she tends to be one of the more affectionate and nicer Titans, usually showing support to her teammates. In this post, we see a glimpse of her power as she lifts Beast Boy up with just one arm..giving him some "support" in another sense of the word.

RELATED:Teen Titans: Every Batman Easter Egg in the Beloved Animated Series

Instagram groupsassygills.cosplayshared this photo, thankinglaura_michele235for support..

Of course, Starfire is more than just brawn...she has the power to control and manipulate ultraviolet radiation, creating powerful blasts and beams. You can tell someone is going to be in trouble when her eyes start to glow green (except the versions where her eyes are always monochromatic.)

Instagram useryohanixshared this photo of Starfire, also known as "Estelar" in the Spanish-speaking fandom, showcasing her ultraviolet powers.

Raven is a powerful empath with a plethora of magical and supernatural abilities. But all that power comes at the cost ofemotional restraint, something Raven keeps control of with a lot of meditating, using her famous spell, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos," as a mantra. Of course, with her great powers, she tends to float during these periods of reflection. And this cosplayer decided to recreate Raven's famous meditation pose, complete with her floating in the air!

Instagram usermissbmarie24shared this photo, adding the quote,"My powers are driven by emotion. The more you feel, the more energy you unleash,"also crediting nicksiegristfor photography.

In this photo, three of the Titans are showing off their jackets: Nightwing, Starfire, and Cyborg. It might not be obvious at first glance but the jacket Starfire is wearing seems to be based on one Robin is sometimes seen wearing in artwork.

Instagram userssuzukichan_cosplay _the_night_wing. and rfjcosplay1986are credited as the models in the photo, shared bywonderfulworldofcosplay, withprettythingsandmoodswingscredited as the photographer.

The Titans are first and foremost a superhero team, so let's end with a photo with the team (Beast Boy, Starfire, Raven, Nightwing, and Cyborg) looking like they're about to attack, complete with them showing off some of their weapons. There's a lot of attention to detail...they even managed to get Nightwing's eyes looking pure white.

Instagram usergrumpy_dragon_cosplayshared this photo of aTitans group from the LA Comic-Con, adding thatportraits.n.cosplaytook the photo.

NEXT:10 Best Superhero HQs, Ranked

NextWhich Dragon Ball Z Character Are You Based On Your Astrology Type?

Hello, my name is John Witiw, and you may remember me as a writer for Viral Pirate, Frontrunner Magazine, or even NTD Television, but now I'm here for CBR!

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10 Teen Titans Cosplay That Look Just Like The Comics | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

The Great Divide: What is the biggest dream fight fans missed out on? – MMA Fighting

The Great Divide is a recurring feature here at MMA Fighting in which two of our staff debate a topic in the world of MMA whether its news, a fight, a crazy thing somebody did, a crazy thing somebody didnt do, or some moral dilemma threatening the very foundation of the sport and try to figure out a resolution. Wed love for you to join in the discussion in the comments below.

With most of the MMA world in hiatus due to the worldwide coronavirus outbreak, Mike Chiappetta and Alexander K. Lee look to the past at crossroads moments in the sport where a zig instead of a zag could have changed everything. Over the years, many dream fights have been proposed, and while several of them came to fruition, many never did, leaving fans to wonder what could have been.

But when it comes to the biggest superfight that never was, which one takes the mantle?

Chiappetta: Back in the olden days when superfights were actually a rarity, we really only got fired up about the ones that would mean something. Someone who had just won a championship for the first time, for instance, wasnt really a candidate for a superfight. You had to have a belt, a profile and gravitas to force your way into that discussion.

The first true one took place in 2009, when UFC lightweight B.J. Penn moved up to challenge welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 94. That, my friends, was a happening, an event that drew a sellout crowd to Las Vegas, nearly hit one million pay-per-view buys, and captured the imaginations of fight fans worldwide.

The fight itself was fairly one-sided. Aside from a close first round, GSP battered Penn so thoroughly that Penns corner eventually stopped the match prior to the start of the fifth. Although the match itself proved anticlimactic, St-Pierres dominance was eye-opening.

Even prior to that bout, a match between St-Pierre and middleweight champion Anderson Silva had been speculated about in MMA circles, but GSPs dominance brought that talk out into the open. If he could so easily dominate an all-time great like Penn, the thinking went, he certainly had a chance against another one in Silva.

Unfortunately, St-Pierre seemed to balk at every mention, saying that if he were to do that, hed have to take time off to bulk up to give himself the best chance of winning. And surprisingly, UFC President Dana White never really pushed for it either, calling it a fantasy as it eventually fell into the void.

Now that some time has passed since we begged and pleaded for that matchup to no avail, its hard to remember how big it would have been. Silva for a time held the record for the most consecutive UFC title defenses with 10, and St-Pierre finished right behind him with nine.

These were two of the winningest fighters in UFC history but they also were among the most charismatic and electric fighters ever to walk into the Octagon.

If you never saw either do his thing in person, you truly missed out on a special experience. For a while, St-Pierre was the king of Canada, and drew a massive crowd of supporters wherever he fought, exploding at every takedown and popping at every ground strike. Meanwhile, Silva was a showman of the highest order, playing with his opponents as if they were children before mercifully ending things with dazzling combinations of speed, power and accuracy.

Just as compelling as their skills was how they would have used them against each other. Oddsmakers made Silva a slight favorite in betting lines released during that time, mostly because of the size disparity between the two men. Silva was long and powerful, and for St-Pierre to get inside for a takedown, he would have had to navigate a treacherous stretch of territory where Silvas fists and knees could have reached him before St-Pierre got there. For Silva, one pinpoint strike often meant the end or the beginning of the end, and given GSPs risk aversion in his later days, it would have been fascinating to see how it played out.

Silva was an incredibly gifted offensive fighter, and GSP was perhaps the best defensive fighter of his era. A lot of that relied upon the threat of his takedown. It was a weapon so potent, it would often freeze fighters who were so hyper focused on defending it, they became offensively paralyzed.

Despite their best efforts, most fighters eventually found themselves on their backs against St-Pierre, but even here, the fight would have stayed interesting. As Chael Sonnen can attest, Silva remained a major threat off of his back, even in the dying moments of a bout. Thus, we couldnt assume that GSPs swarming ground game would be a sure thing.

There are so many elements that would have been riveting viewing. Could Silva overwhelm St-Pierre in the clinch as hed done to so many others? How would GSP have adjusted his offense in a reach deficit with limited use of his trademark jab? Could Silva enter the matrix against one of the sports all-time greats standing across from him? Would GSPs carefully created game plan or Silvas improvisational genius win the day?

Alas, well never know. For all time, it will be a hypothetical for the ages, just like the men within. Silva and St-Pierre will forever be among the best to ever do it, and the sport will forever rue the inability to get them into the cage against each other, even as their primes ran in parallel.

Lee: Neither Ronda Rousey nor Cris Cyborg had anywhere near the sustained excellence in the UFC as Georges St-Pierre or Anderson Silva, but at its a peak a dream bout between the two was as hot as any in MMA history and Cyborg wasnt even in the UFC until Rousey had one foot out the door.

To remember where it all began, you have to go back at the halcyon days of Strikeforce when an August 2009 fight between Cyborg and Gina Carano rocketed womens MMA into the mainstream. Carano was a budding star in her own right, a vibrant personality that would later make a name for herself in Hollywood, while Cyborg had already developed the reputation of a berserker just four years into her pro career. Hot on Cyborgs heels was a rising featherweight named Ronda Rousey.

Rousey, a bronze medal winner in judo at the 2008 Olympics, absolutely disintegrated her first four MMA opponentsall of whom would go on to have respectable careers of their ownincluding future Bellator champion Julia Budd. None of them lasted longer than 50 seconds with Rousey.

Cyborg vs. Rousey. Inevitable, right? Not exactly.

Rather than continue on at 145, Rousey dropped down to bantamweight for a title fight with Miesha Tate. It was hard to argue with the move as Rousey picked up another first-round submission and the first championship of her career. She then won her next seven title fights, including six straight in the UFC.

As for Cyborg, a failed drug test in 2011 cost her the Strikeforce belt and all but killed any notion that Rousey would consider returning to featherweight to face her. Cyborg rebounded with another championship run in Invicta FC, but ironically, the more successful they both were the less likely it was that they would cross paths given that Rouseys fame grew with every defense of her 135-pound title and Cyborg had no reason to even sign with the UFC since they had no featherweight division for her to compete in.

And yet, the two continued to snipe at each other through the media, with Rousey daring Cyborg to drop an extra 10 pounds and meet her at bantamweight, and Cyborgs camp wondering why the former 145-pound prospect was unwilling to move back up for a once-in-a-lifetime fight. It should be noted that Rousey was one of the highest-paid fighters in the world at the time and had zero reason to accommodate any opponent, especially one she openly despised.

Its that animosity that would have made this matchup the stuff of legends though. Cyborg, the unstoppable force who would eventually compile a 20-fight winning streak with few of her opponents looking like they belonged in the same cage as her; Rousey, the immovable object that dominated seasoned competition like no woman before her, even Cyborg herself. Before the rise of Amanda Nunes, Rousey and Cyborg were among the top-3 all-time when it came to WMMA GOATs (shout-out to Megumi Fujii).

It wasnt her fault by any means, but Cyborgs level of competition was always questioned. Even Rousey was a victim of her own success as her lightning-fast dismissals of the likes of Cat Zingano and Sara McMann caused them to be labeled retroactively as unworthy challengers. These two would have completed each other.

Who would have won? Its hard to bet against Cyborg, physically one of the strongest featherweights ever to compete in MMA and an excellent grappler as well. The thought of Rousey trucking her as she had so many others is unfathomable. But Rousey made a career out of proving people wrong and in her prime was the definition of a world-beater. Could she have been the one to snap Cyborgs legendary streak?

What really hurts about this one is the lateone could argue, half-heartedeffort to make this fight happen in 2016 as Cyborg was entering the UFC and Rousey was exiting. Cyborgs first two octagon appearances were 140-pound catchweight affairs, an absurd test to see if she could reasonably make the cut down to bantamweight (spoiler: she couldnt). The matchmakers were doing what they could to put the gears in motion for Cyborg vs. Rousey even if those gears were loudly grinding in futility.

It didnt matter. Rousey lost some of her mystique after being knocked out by Holly Holm, then headed to the greener pastures of the WWE after her comeback attempt was brutally stifled by Nunes. Cyborg finally reigned as the UFCs featherweight champion before she too fell to Nunes. Any remnants of a Cyborg-Rousey matchup are dust in the wind now.

Theres still an outside shot that the WWE books an angle for the two to work together someday or that the matchup is zombified for a quick cash grab a la Chuck-Tito III. For fight fans, either outcome would likely be infuriating more than anything else, especially compared to what we could have had: Two unique and gifted fighters with a genuine dislike for each other settling their score in the cage.

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The Great Divide: What is the biggest dream fight fans missed out on? - MMA Fighting

100 Fights to Watch at Home this Weekend – The Official Website of the Ultimate Fighting Championship

37. Junior dos Santos vs Mark Hunt UFC 160: Ever seen somebody get knocked out by the calf muscle? When Junior dos Santos throws wheel kicks anything can happen.

36. Sodiq Yusuff vs Mike Davis Dana Whites Contender Series: Sodiq made us all feel bad for Mike Davis. As if it wasnt hard enough to constantly chase down somebody as fast as Yusuff, couple that with the damage that was done to his lead leg. Ouch. If was pretty clear from the beginning Sodiq Yusuff was here to stay.

35. Danny Silva vs Johnny Soto CFFC 75: The whole card could have easily gone home after the early card barn burner between Danny Silva and Johnny Soto. It almost looked like two hungry Justin Gaethjes out there swinging for the fences.

34. Phil Baroni vs Ikuhisa Minowa PRIDE Bushido 11: Neither man had exactly a groundbreaking presence in the world of MMA but with bell to bell action and a finish by stomps, Baroni and Minows 1 was one of the most underrated fights in PRIDE FC history.

33. Phil Baroni vs Nick Nolte Titan FC 17: While were here, lets go back to the day Phil Baroni fought a man named Nick Nolte. Not that Nick Nolte. The Nick Nolte from Kansas City with a handful of fights on UFC FIGHT PASS. With the nickname of The Kansas City Head Case, theyre definitely cut from the same cloth.

32. Murilo Rua vs Alex Reid Cage Rage 21: Hopefully youve got a strong stomach. A freak leg kick ended the fight before it began. No bones were broken, but when Alex Reid threw a low leg kick the worst part of the bone must have come in heavy contact with the best part of Ninja Ruas because blood began pouring out like a faucet.

31. Eddie Alvarez vs Ross Ebenez ShoXC 4: Trumps Taj Mahal played host to an up and coming Eddie Alvarez doing what he does best all the way back in 2008.

30. Semmy Schilt vs Masakatsu Funaki Pancrase 1998 Anniversary Show: Semmy Schilt might have more fights on UFC FIGHT PASS so theres no way he wasnt making the cut. One of his most exciting finishes came in Pancrase where Funaki ate one too many body punches before calling it a night.

29. Sarah Kaufman vs Valerie Letourneau TKO 29: After a somewhat uneventful first round, Sarah Kaufman came out swinging for the fences in the second round and landed punches until the ref had had enough.

28. Minoru Suzuki vs Ken Shamrock Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 4: One of the greatest title fights in Pancrase history was between two of the most decorated legends in the promotions history. While it was short lived, fans and fighters alike knew the one round affair was indisputably between the most worthy title challengers in the world.

27. Kimbo Slice vs Tank Abbott EliteXC: Street Certified: As far as the history of Kimbos career goes, this was the most entertaining matchup possible. EliteXC knew exactly what they were doing when they booked the two most notorious street brawlers of all time to go against each other. The only thing the fans would change would be that the fight was a few years too late.

26. Alistair Overeem vs Vitor Belfort PRIDE Total Elimination 2005: This fight could have taken place anywhere, with both men fighting for nearly every major promotion its a surprise this fight only happened twice. The most exciting of the pair of fights coming at PRIDE Total Elimination 2005. The bout came to a conclusion when Ubereem put Belfort in a guillotine more terrifying than a real guillotine.

25. Marius Zaromskis vs Ross Mason Cage Rage 22: After two rounds of slugging it out, Ross Mason thought he had seen everything Marius Zaromskis had up his sleeve. When Zaromskis landed a kick to the face that would have dropped lesser men, Mason stood smiling welcoming anything else. Mason next landed a flying knee that sent Mason flopping to the canvas.

24. Jared Cannonier vs Tony Lopez AFC 104: After watching the walkouts its possible that Jared Cannonier is the most popular person to ever walk to the AFC cage. The ring announcer jinxed the action when he asked the crowd if they wanted to see a knockout. What they got instead was a split decision battle that launched Cannonier into the UFC.

23. Herb Dean vs Timothy Mendoza KOTC 39: Hitmaster: With the hair and the referee outfit you dont often glance at the ears but if you were to look at the ears of Herb Dean, youll notice a little bit of cauliflower to them. He earned it the hard way after a six-year MMA career.

22. Mark Schultz vs Gary Goodridge UFC 9: Less than four months after the murder of his brother, the subject of the movie Foxcatcher stepped into The Octagon and used wrestling to absolutely dominate Gary Goodridge handing him his second MMA loss.

21. Rickson Gracie vs Nobuhiko Takada PRIDE 1: Rickson Gracies career was short-lived but dominant and its fights like this one that let us know that theres only one fight were missing on UFC FIGHT PASS. Rickson vs Sakuraba.

20. Kurt Holobaugh vs Yosdenis Cedeno Titan FC 42: Pushing himself and Yosdenis Cedeno to the limit for over three rounds, Kurt Holobaugh was finally able to finish the fight with a rear-naked choke to earn a title shot with JZ Cavalcante.

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100 Fights to Watch at Home this Weekend - The Official Website of the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Darkseid is Showing Thanos How You REALLY Change Reality – Screen Rant

Darkseid has been on a historic mission in the realm of DC Comics, first dying in battle, then being resurrected as a mind-controlled slave, and then being reverted into an adorably hideous baby. But come June,Darkseidmay finally reach his ultimate form, and achieve his goal of reshaping all of reality. But unlike his Marvel counterpart, Thanos... Darkseid's plan will actually work.

When it comes to threat levels in the DC Universe Darkseid ranks among the very top, having nearly conquered all sentient life multiple times. His first invasion of Earth was the crisis that initially brought the Justice League together in the rebooted New 52 continuity, and his obsession with the Anti-Life Equation has led to the deaths of thousands. But not long afterJustice League: Odyssey threw shade at Thanos' plan -- claiming any fool could see how it would fail. Which means Darkseid is after an even MORE powerful way to make it happen.

Related:Justice League Prepare For Original Final Battle In New Snyder Cut Image

Gods aren't known form being humble, but Darkseids defeat at the hands of the Anti-Monitor during the events of The Darkseid War knocked the king of evil off his pedestal, and stripped him of most of his power and nearly all of his dignity. But Darkseids will is unfathomably strong, and DCs June solicitation forJustice League: Odysseysuggests the dethroned lord of Apokolips is now on his way to conquering the Multiverse in a way he never could before--by becoming the author of all reality.

Unfortunately for those fond of evil newborns, Darkseids adventures as a Rugrat were short-lived. With the help of his daughter/surrogate mother Grail, baby Darkseid fed on the life-force of Zeuss divine bastard children to gradually grow back into adulthood. Considerably weakened, Darkseid then tricked Cyborg, Starfire, and Azrael into going on a space odyssey to return him to his seat of power. Believing themselves on a mission to restore order to the universe, the trio of Earths defenders go on an unsanctioned (and forbidden) trek through a patchwork of lost planets called the Ghost Sector. Unwitting pawns in Darkseids path to ultimate power.

Darkseids quest sends the Odyssey team on a scavenger hunt to find ancient technology that combines together to create Sepulkore, a solar system-sized version of Apokolips. With Sepulkore, Darkseid plans to ride out the galactic entropy bleeding into the Multiverse after the destruction of the Source Wall (collateral damage fromNo Justice). Though they attempted to betray Darkseid before he could complete his master plan, Darkseid transforms Cyborg, Starfire, and Azrael into twisted versions of New Gods to serve at his nightmarish command.

Related:Darkseid's TRUE Equal Isn't Thanos, It's Santa (Seriously)

However, there was an unwilling member of the team Darkseid couldnt warp to his divine will--Green Lantern Jessica Cruz. Not fitting into Darkseids plans Cruz was brutally executed, but through a freak accident involving her power ring and Darkseids omega beams her body was restored with the ability to manipulate omega energy. While fleeing Darkseids mutated horrors, Cruzs new team (comprised of Darkseids son Orion, Starfires sister Queen Blackfire, a Zamaron technician, and a vicious Red Lantern who is also a house cat) encounters yet another being hoping to bring down the New God, this one armed with a machine that can rewrite reality.

Epoch, a nonlinear being and a self-proclaimed Master of Time, plans to use a cosmic device called a revision mechanism to edit out Darkseids existence from the pages of history, one syllable at a time. And not rely on magic or mysticism to do it. DCs June solicitations hint that the second Odyssey crew will also fail to bring down the Lord of Apokolips. InJustice League: Odyssey #22(on sale June 3rd), Darkseid successfully breaches Epochs defenses and it is heavily suggested that he will claim the revision mechanism for himself. This means Darkseid will wield more power than he ever has before, as the new author of the DC Universe--able to rewrite continuity to his dark will.

Does this mean DCs Rebirth is getting the New 52 treatment? With the comic book publisher offering media outlets muddled and at times conflicting details regarding their latest big event launchGeneration 5 (or 5G for short), many speculate DC is headed for another soft reboot--not a continuity earthquake like Crisis On Infinite Earths but more like a continuity aftershock likeZero Hour. If that is the case, it is more than possible that Darkseid will play a part in retconning the timeline considering hisnew position as the Multiverses editor-in-chief.

More: DCs New Batman is a Literal DINOSAUR (Seriously)

James Gunn Resorts To Using Toilet Paper With Michael Rooker's Face On It

Dorian Black is a writer for the comic book news section for Screen Rant. Having attended San Diego Comic-Con every year since 2004, he stays current on all the latest news relating to the world of superheroes, science fiction, and high fantasy. Aside from comics, Dorian also has a passion for filmmaking, having graduated with a degree in Film and Electronic Arts from CSULB with an emphasis in production. He wrote, directed, and produced his first feature while still in college, has worked on several television pilots, and even appears in Jon Schnepps endearing documentary The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? Dorian is currently a pop-culture news host for Nerdbot Media and a contributor for Nightmarish Conjurings.An avid cosplayer, Dorian Black can be found throughout social media hosting and managing events while masquerading as Batman, Superman, Pin-Head, Casey Jones, and SHAZAM (yes, the characters real name is Captain Marvel). He has experienced some of the wildest nerd nightlife that America has to offer, meeting some truly talented fandom-inspired innovators in the entertainment industry along the way. When Dorian is not on the clock, he is also a big fan of photographybehind the camera, in front of the camera, and photo editing on his tablet.

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Darkseid is Showing Thanos How You REALLY Change Reality - Screen Rant

The Mandalorian casts Terminator and Aliens legend Michael Biehn as bounty hunter in Disney+ season 2 – The Irish Sun

THE Mandalorian is bringing in a new cast member who knows a thing or two about aliens.

Terminator and Aliens star Michael Biehn has been cast in season 2 of the Disney+ Star Wars spinoff.

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As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Biehn has joined the cast as a bounty hunter from The Mandalorian's past.

No further information has been given about his role in the show.

If the name sounds familiar, Beihn took the pivotal role in 1984's The Terminator as cyborg hunter Dwayne Hicks.

More recently, he has appeared in The Abyss, Navy SEALs, Tombstone and The Rock.

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The Mandalorian character will be his most prominent role in more than a decade.

Beihn has also dabbled in TV, with starring roles on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Criminal Minds.

Beihn joins Rosario Dawson, who is set to play Ahsoka Tona in season 2, a former Clone Wars fan favourite.

The second season is set to air in October, later this year.

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Many of the characters in the show's first season are also set to return.

Pedro Pascal will continue his role as The Mandalorian/Din Djarin and Gina Carano is expected to return as Cara Dunne, ex-shock trooper.

Fans will be happy to know that baby Yoda AKA The Child will also be back for the second season.

The Mandalorian's first two episodes are available to stream on Disney+, with new episodes available every Friday.

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The Mandalorian casts Terminator and Aliens legend Michael Biehn as bounty hunter in Disney+ season 2 - The Irish Sun

Walking the Walk and Heeding the Talk for Now – The SandPaper

(File Photo by Ryan Morrill)

I went for a drive to the park with my family. I asked myself questions I never thought Id ask myself. Should I have my window open in the car? What if that guy in front of me spits out his window? What if the guy in the car passing by with his window open sneezes? What about that lady on the sidewalk? Am I too close? I was sweating stupid sweat.

It was a gorgeous afternoon. Perfect. The kind I would have every window of my car open and the music blaring. I live for days like this, but the sight of two full parking lots as we entered the park filled me with dread. So. Many. People.

We drove around the park, and there were people everywhere. They were passing each other with less than 6 feet of clearance. Dont they know? Why arent they social distancing? Six feet people, 6 feet! If we get out of the car and go for a walk, will they ignore the minimum distance when I pass? What if they cough? I turned around and left the park. We decided to just walk around the block from home.

I went for a walk to the lake up the street. Every fellow pedestrian was now a threat. I felt like a cyborg tracking every movement of every human within sight. Plans were made to change trajectory if someone was coming toward us. What if we cant get enough space? What if, what if, what if? Thats all that was rattling around my mind. And we did walk pass some. We said hello. We waved. And people did come within 6 feet, and it felt like every molecule within me was screaming red alert. What to do? What to do?

You accept it. You keep walking.

And we did. We kept walking and took in stunning views of the lake on an amazing day. My kids panicked, not at people, but at a wasp that was flying around their heads. Old-school panic. That was good panic, if a little overboard on their part (but, hey, they hate wasps).

On the way home I started thinking about the level of nonsensical stress coursing through my body every minute of this family walk. It made no sense to me. I mean, I definitely understood why it was happening I am a recovering germaphobe, and here I am facing every one of those old feelings pouring anxiety into my system, fed by a worldwide pandemic. This was always just for the movies, not real life, right? But here we are.

My takeaway from this walk on this gorgeous afternoon was this were not going to be able to stay home. If I am out already, theres no way the public is going to stay inside on gorgeous days. We are outside people. We treasure the outdoors. Our nation is all about crossing borders into nature and life. And despite every fear I had about going out, I still did. Were not going to stay inside. Were not.

So the next thought is well, I guess were all just going to have to take our chances. I dont think the self-quarantine will work once the weather gets warm. I dont think you can pen up a free society that long. Were all willing to do it right now.We want to play our part in flattening the curve.

I had felt as though I could do this for months. One nice day in and Im not so sure. The call to the shore will be absolutely irresistible come late June, maybe earlier. I dont see how this will ultimately work. The panic thoughts erupt again which way will we go? Will it come to martial law to keep us home, or will we just open society and keep testing people, separating the sick as we go? If you get it, you get it. Some would live and some would die. And that thought is terrifying, too, because we would all think wed be on the living side, but some will not be, and we are already seeing evidence that this is not just an older persons problem anymore.

No, no, that will not do, so we have to stay at home and do our part for the greater good, for however long it takes to give our hospitals a chance to save the most lives. Into the great unknown from home we go, I guess.

So I went for a walk today and I heard a voice from Italy.

Hi, Scott. How are you? About what you wrote today going to the park I hope you dont take this as an intrusion. They have forbidden us to walk outside without serious purpose (like grocery, health issues or work). They closed every shop that doesnt sell food or medicine. Thats how bad things are here in Italy.

They are doing that because people cant simply follow one essential rule: stay at home. In Bergamo so many died they had to be moved elsewhere because the cemetery couldnt handle that many dead!

Sure, we have the second oldest population in the world, and we dont have such huge spaces as you do in in the U.S. We have a different health system (ours is having trouble with so many sick people in such short time). The quarantine is mostly for that, since it is a highly contagious virus. We need to slow it down and give time for our health system to make room for everybody.

Three weeks ago we had our last Sunday brunch out with the kids, and we thought the officials made too much fuss about a bad cold. Only three weeks ago, and now look at us.

I dont want to scare you. Well, maybe I do.Just think about it and please take care! Elena.

Scott Mazzella, author ofSurviving Sandy: Long Beach Island and the Greatest Storm of the Jersey Shore, lives in Matawan, N.J., and is a frequent visitor at his familys house in Holgate.

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Walking the Walk and Heeding the Talk for Now - The SandPaper

15 Female UFC Fighters In Their Workout And Gym Gear | TheThings – TheThings

UFC fighters were none too pleased after Dana White and the company agreed to a deal exclusively with Reebok. Some fighters love to show off their own personal taste while promoting a specific company that couldve led to more dollars for the fighters individually, however that ship sailed once UFC inked the deal with the popular retailer.

Due to the deal, the workout gear of choice for the UFC females is oftentimes something from the brand. Clearly, as well come to realize on this list, they always pull off the look. In addition to showcasing the gear, well also delve into their rigorous workouts.

Enjoy the article folks and like always be sure to share it with a friend. Without further ado, lets get started.

Wed hesitate to workout alongside Cris Cyborg, especially on the road to a big fight.

Most of us get exhausted just watching her routines, which feature some serious cardio drills, like being attached to a rope, which just adds even more resistance to her movements. She also has the mask on which cuts down oxygen, accelerating your heart and lung rate. Beast mode.

Related -18 Rare Pics Behind The Scenes At UFC Events

She might not have the best UFC record however, in the looks department, Rachael is a legend and among the elite. Her workout photos kind of resemble something a fitness IG influencer would post.

Her outfits always seem to be on point however, when its time to prep for a fight, those fitness routines change drastically.

We respect VanZants hustle, even with an arm injury shes getting it done, when theres a will theres a way.

Wisely, she uses a modified squat machine which uses no upper body tension whatsoever this is one of the elite machines strictly focusing on the glute, hamstring and quad contraction.

Without a doubt, most of us approve in relation to Tates workout outfit of choice, two thumbs up. The legend provides quite the service with her own home workout routine online, to all of her members.

The 33-year-old seems to be aging in reverse, she can also be followed via IG, where she posts more workout and healthy eating footage.

You dont get the label of Karate Hottie by accident. Waterson is often time considered the best-looking UFC fighter in the game.

The vet can also bring it in the octagon, prior to her loss to Joanna Jedrzejczyk, she was on an impressive three-fight win streak. We hope to see her back in training and in the octagon soon.

Holly Holm is a beast. We really dont need to say much else, during her training sessions she ups the tempo to the next level.

In the pic above, shes hitting a wide-grip pull-up, while showing off her middle back and lats Holm definitely picked the perfect outfit to flex those back muscles.

Related -16 Fighters That Are Banned From UFC Events

She hasnt lost a fight in nearly six years, let that sink in for a second. Ever since her 2014 loss to Cat Zingano, Nunes has gone on a devastating win streak, defeating ten opponents in a row, in the span of more than five years.

Amanda has defeated the best of the best shes doing something right during her training sessions.

So, who did Amanda Nunes last defeat come against? Cat Zingano, the MMA legend easily disposed of Nunes in the third round by way of knockout.

In the pic above, we see The Alpha in her signature pink colors. She was known for her flashy pink attire back in the day during her prime run.

Joanna represents true heart in the world of MMA. Her bout against Weili most recently showed that once again, it was the top fight of 2020 with Joanna refusing to quit.

Shes a big public figure for the UFC, here, shes working a promotional shoot for the company while rocking her Reebok gear.

Related -15 Little Known Facts About Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Speaking of heart, we turn to Rose Namajunas who defeated Joanna in back-to-back matches.

While rocking her fitness gear, shes hitting an upper-body cable movement which requires lots of core strength along with stability. She always has her game face on, whether it be hitting the gym for a workout or promoting a fight for the UFC.

She should change her nickname from the Lil Bulldog to the Ripped Bulldog. When it is time to prep for a fight, Herrig takes herconditioning to the next level.

We get a snippet of that during this post-workout pic, as the abs seem to be popping out of everywhere.

Often times prior to a fight, some of the fighters put on an exhibition which usually features a little bit of stretching along with a sparring session specifically for the fans.

Valentina has some scary mobility on the ground, as evidenced by the shot above. Shes rocking her Reebok gear, contractually, shes obligated to rep the brand as are the rest of the UFC fighters.

UFC fans were eager to see Pena back in the octagon come March 28th, as she was slated to take on Aspen Ladd. Of course, given the current circumstances, the match was canceled for a later date.

Lets admire Pena instead, as shes rocking the Reebok top with some Lululemon bottoms a pretty good combo if you ask us.

The UFC must be smiling from ear to ear looking at this photo, as Claudia Gadelha is rocking the Reebok gear and doing a darn good job at that.

It truly doesnt get any better than an empty gym and why not snap a quick photo for all your followers in the meantime.

As the meatheads say, dress for a workout like youre going to your own funeral well, Zhang definitely masters that concept in the pic above.

Her work ethic is off the charts and that has been on full-display given her recent run as one of the most dominant fighters in the game.

Next 15 Candid Pics Of UFC Stars With Their Families

Sources IG, Sherdog & YouTube

Next10 Reasons Why Ronda Rousey Should Return To The UFC (And 6 Why She Shouldn't)

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15 Female UFC Fighters In Their Workout And Gym Gear | TheThings - TheThings

Super Promotions: 10 Teen Characters Who Graduated To The Avengers Or Justice League – CBR – Comic Book Resources

There's a general rule in comics that characters rarely really change or grow. Batman and Superman will always be in their mid-30s. Everything in the Marvel universe will have happened in the last 10 years. This keeps things stable and simple and, in theory, easy for everyone to enjoy the stories.

RELATED:DC Comics: 5 Superheroes Who Improve With A Sidekick (& 5 Who Are Better Off Solo)

But some characters break this rule. They grow up and change and become something different. They move from the kids table to the adult table during the big superhero get-togethers and live it up as one of the big-time superheroes. What does it take to make it to the big leagues? How does a young hero get bumped up to the next level? There's no one answer to those questions, but here are 10 teen superheroes who graduated to the Avengers or Justice League...

Firestar is a rare character who got two promotions in her superhero career. She was created to act as the third hero in the classic animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friendsbut finally came to the Marvel Comics universe two years after the cartoon was canceled when she showed up in Uncanny X-Men #193.

Sometime later, Firestar would become a founding member of the New Warriors where comic fans would really get to know the character. When her New Warriors co-founder and boyfriend Justice decided to leave the team and try out for the Avengers, Firestar joined him. Both of the young heroes made the team.

Probably the most famous of all the superhero graduates, Wally West, the third Flash, went from pre-teen sidekick to founding member of the Teen Titans to founding member of the Justice League International offshootJustice League Europe before becoming a member of the Justice League proper.

For quite a while, Wally West stood out as the sidekick who made good on the promise. While other sidekicks have taken over for their mentors, Wally was the one who kept it going the longest, running for over 20 years before he got sent back down to the minors. Since then, DC has struggled to figure out what to do with the character, much to the chagrin of his fans.

Starting off as one of the Young Avengers, Hulkling is a KreeSkrull hybrid who uses his shapeshifting abilities to take on the characteristics of the original Hulk. As time went on, Hulkling started to become his own identity, thanks in part to his budding relationship with Wiccan. Hulkling started to use his powers to, among other things, grow wings and fly.

RELATED:Marvel Comics: 5 Superheroes Who Improve With A Sidekick (& 5 Who Are Better Off Solo)

After his time with the Young Avengers, Hulkling joined the New Avengers alongside Wiccan, Squirrel Girl, and a few other heroes. The team didn't last long, but Hulkling is plenty busy these days being the new ruler of the Kree-Skrull Alliance and helping plan the invasion of Earth for "the final war", which we'll all get to see in Marvel's upcoming Empyre event.

Growing up called "Night Boy" by his neighbors, Ray Terrill never left the house because of a deadly allergy to sunlight. At least, that was what he had been told. On his deathbed, Ray's dad reveals the truth; Ray was born with superpowers that are activated by the sun, but he couldn't control them. Now in his teens, Ray was ready to go out into the world and make a name for himself.

Taking a different path than most teen heroes, Ray skipped the lesser teams and was recruited into the Justice League when the team was looking to power up after the death of Superman. After about a year with the League, Ray left to join Young Justice and be with people his own age.

A founding member of the New Mutants, Roberto da Costa used his mutant abilities to absorb solar energy and turn it into a variety of powers like superstrength and solar blasts to help mutantdom. As Sunspot, Roberto has been a member of a number of teams, including X-Force and Young X-Men before becoming a member of the Avengers. Sunspot used his family's money to buy out A.I.M. and change it from the terrorist group Advanced Idea Mechanics to Avengers Idea Mechanics and forms his own Avengers team, New Avengers. After the New Avengers folded, Sunspot became the leader of U.S. Avengers.

Created by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder, Courtney Whitmore took on the superhero identity Star-Spangled Kid after learning that her stepfather was the original Star-Spangled Kid. Early into her career, Courtney joined the JSA and was gifted the cosmic staff by Starman when he decided to get out of the hero game. She changed her name to Stargirl and continued to make her mark as part of comics' first superhero team.

In the New 52 continuity, Stargirl joined the Justice League of America and was used as the face of this government back version of the classic team. After this iteration of Justice League of America dissolved, Stargirl joined Justice League United.

Created by Ultron, Victor Mancha grew up thinking he was a normal kid living a normal life with his normal single mother. He had no idea he was destined to become a supervillain called Victorious who would destroy the Avengers and rule the world in the near future. Thanks to the Runaways, Victor learned of his future and worked to make sure it would never come to pass.After the Age of Ultron event, Victor joined Hank Pym's Avengers A.I., a team that included Victor's "older brother" Vision, a Doombot, and Nick Fury's ex-wife, Monica Chang.

Originally a member of the Marv Wolfman and George Perez's New Teen Titans, Cyborg gained his cybernetic powers in a less than ideal way when he was caught in an explosion. To save his life, Cyborg's dad took what little of his son he could and transferred it to a robotic body powered by a Mother Box.

RELATED:10 Marvel Heroes Who Would Make Great Batman Sidekicks

While Cyborg was always a member of the Titans, he found himself being a part of the new Justice League after Doctor Manhattan had messed with the timestream, as seen in Doomsday Clock. He may have gotten the promotion in a weird way, but there's no doubt that Cyborg has the skills and powers that make him a good fit for the Justice League.

Just a high school student when he joined his sister, her fiance, and her fiance's college buddy for a trip into outer space in an experimental rocket ship, Johnny Storm became the Human Torch after being exposed to cosmic rays.

While he is first and foremost a member of Marvel's first superhero team, the Fantastic Four, he joined the Avengers for a time while Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman were missing and presumed dead. Johnny had inherited the fortune of the Fantastic Four and used it to rebuild Avengers Mansion.

The first Robin, Dick Grayson not only gave birth to the kid sidekick concept, but he was also a founding member of the Teen Titans, acting as the team's leader for decades in the comics. Even when he gave up the Robin persona and became Nightwing, Dick stayed with his Titans teammates, but when he took over the Batman persona for the second time.

As with his first run as Batman, Dick didn't stay in the cape and cowl for long, and returned to the Titans when he went back to being Nightwing. Of all the grown-up sidekicks in the DC universe, Dick isn't the only one who should be on the Justice League, but he is the only one who has the skills needed to lead the team.

NEXT:5 Best DC Sidekicks (& 5 Marvel Sidekicks)

NextSword Art Online: 5 Leafa Costumes We Loved (& 5 She Should Never Wear Again)

Born and raised in New York, Derek Faraci moved to Los Angeles in 2001 where he worked as a freelance writer before taking a position at Activision where he worked on many successful franchises including Spider-Man, Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero.In October 2009, Derek left Activision to join Scientifically Proven Entertainment. Since joining SPE, Derek has worked on Man vs. Wild: The Game and the film Sucker directed by Michael Manasseri.Given the option, Derek would spend all of his time watching movies and reading comics.

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Super Promotions: 10 Teen Characters Who Graduated To The Avengers Or Justice League - CBR - Comic Book Resources

DCEU: 10 Ways The Slate Has Changed Since The Franchise Began – Screen Rant

Although there was a lot of promise in the idea of a shared universe of films based on DC Comics properties, the DC Extended Universe got off to a very shaky start. After the middling success, both critically and commercially, of Zack Snyders Man of Steel, Warner Bros. went gung ho in their attempts to catch up to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

RELATED:4 Movies Warner Bros. Should Remove From DCEU Canon (& 4 They Should Keep)

Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League were introduced in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ahead of an ensemble team-up just one year later. As the franchise has recovered from these blunders, the development slate has changed significantly. Here are 10 ways the DCEU deviated from the original plan.

Ben Afflecks take on the role of Batman was one of the few things that was praised about Batman v Superman. However, after his casting was met with backlash and then he faced ruthless reception to the movie and then became disillusioned with all the mid-filming changes to Justice League, the actor decided to quit the DCEU.

Hes since been replaced by Robert Pattinson, who will play a younger, less experienced version of Bruce Wayne than the one Affleck played. Pattinson will debut in the 2021 solo movie that Affleck was originally slated to write and direct.

The DCEUs Avengers-style superhero team-up, Justice League, was initially announced as two movies Justice League Part One and Justice League Part Two although producer Deborah Snyder insisted that it wouldnt be one movie split in half. The first one was set to arrive on November 17, 2017, while the second was set to arrive on June 14, 2019.

A Justice League movie did make the November 2017 release, but Part One was dropped from its title and painfully obvious reshoots made it more of a standalone piece. After that movies box office disappointment and Ben Afflecks departure as Batman, a sequel was never made.

Before Suicide Squad came out, there were plans for a movie centered around Margot Robbies Harley Quinn and Jared Letos Joker, under the working title Harley Quinn vs The Joker. The movie was set to be written, directed, and produced by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who had previously worked with Robbie on Focus and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

RELATED:5 Things The DCEU Needs To Change (& 5 Things It Should Keep The Same)

However, a Joker movie was made without Letos involvement and Robbie focused on Birds of Prey, which revealed early on that Harley Quinn had broken up with the Joker.

Ray Fishers on-screen portrayal of Victor Stone, a.k.a. Cyborg has been given the short end of the DCEU stick. He was supposed to get a solo movie on April 3, 2020, but it appears to have been canceled, as there hasnt been official word on it for years.

In Zack Snyders original version of Justice League, Cyborg was supposed to have a much larger role, with his whole origin story being filled in, but when Warner Bros. took over the project, most of Cyborgs scenes were cut. As long as the arc of Victors backstory has been shot and those scenes exist, surely the studio can cut together a solo movie for fans of this fascinating, conflicted character.

When Warner Bros. executives were first putting together the DCEUs release slate, a movie about the Flash was set to hit multiplexes in 2018. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Seth Grahame-Smith, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, Rick Famuyiwa have all come and gone from the project over the years. Ezra Miller even resorted to writing his own script at one point.

Right now, the film is set to be helmed by Andy Muschietti for a July 1, 2022 release. But of course, as history has shown, we shouldnt put too much stock into a release date that Warner Bros. sets for a Flash solo movie.

Emulating Marvels signature style, Warner Bros. slapped a post-credits scene on the end of Justice League that revealed Lex Luthor to have escaped from prison and taken a yacht out on the high seas.

RELATED:10 Mistakes The DCEU Made That Prevented It From Matching The MCU's Success

Hes introduced to Deathstroke, played by Joe Manganiello, who seemed to be set up for a larger role as a villain in the DCEUs future. In the three years since Justice League hit theaters, this tease hasnt been paid off.

When Zack Snyderhad to step down fromJustice Leaguedue to a personal tragedy, Joss Whedon stepped in to finish the film for him. Having been impressed with his work, Warner Bros. then hired Whedon to write, direct, and produce a movie about Batgirl. However, just under a year after signing on, Whedon quit the movie.

Its still in development, with Birds of Preys Christina Hodson working on the script, but its nowhere near as close to production as it was when Whedon was at the helm.

After the release of Suicide Squad, Jared Leto signed on to executive produce and star in a Joker solo movie. However, an unrelated Joker film was since released that became the first R-rated movie to gross over $1 billion and was nominated for more Academy Awards than any other movie of the year.

Letos unusual portrayal of the Joker was never very popular among fans, and thats even more prevalent after Joaquin Phoenixs Oscar-winning take blew Leto out of the water, so a Leto-led Joker movie being released after that would feel a little redundant.

It seems crazy that a Justice League movie was made without Green Lantern. Its like Marvel making an Avengers movie without Thor; hes a key member of the team who brings some very unique powers and character traits to the table, so its not the same without him.

RELATED:10 Cues The DCEU's Green Lantern Movie Should Take From Guardians Of The Galaxy

The Green Lanterns did appear very briefly in Justice League, during the Mother Box montage, but we havent been introduced to a specific character, like Hal Jordan or John Stewart. And although a movie titled Green Lantern Corps was dated for June 19, 2020, its clearly not happening.

Zack Snyders Man of Steel is the movie that first kicked off the DCEU. Batman v Superman was essentially a sequel to Man of Steel, but Warner Bros. has consistently promised a direct sequel to the film focusing solely on Superman. Matthew Vaughn and Christopher McQuarrie have separately been in talks with the studio to helm the project, but in both cases, the negotiations fell through.

Michael B. Jordan has pitched his own take on Superman, which sounds exciting, but he wasnt ready to commit to the role just yet. With the Henry Cavill-starringThe Witcher taking off on Netflix, a Man of Steel sequel is looking less and less likely.

NEXT:5 Reasons We Need Man Of Steel 2 (& 5 Why We Don't)

Next10 Things That Happened in Season 1 of Game Of Thrones That You Completely Forgot About

Ben Sherlock writes for Screen Rant and CBR, covering a wide range of topics from Scorsese to Seinfeld. He also makes independent films, performs standup comedy, and bores people with Star Wars trivia.He's currently working on his debut feature and he sits atop a throne made of unproduced screenplays. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema and BabbleTop.

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DCEU: 10 Ways The Slate Has Changed Since The Franchise Began - Screen Rant

Here is every UFC womens champion in the history of the promotion – FanSided

A championship is built brick by brick by each and ever champion to win that championship. In the history of the UFC, there have been four divisions for the women, with 13 female fighters capturing gold. Each name has helped build the prestige of the UFCs championships.

Thats why today were looking at each champion from all the divisions.

Germaine de Randamie defeated Holly Holm to win the inaugural womens featherweight championship but was stripped of the title after refusing to defend the belt against Cris Cyborg Justino.

Justino defeated Holly Holm to crown a new champion after de Randamie was stripped of the title. Shed go on to defend the title twice before losing it.

Amanda Nunes beat Justino for the championship and has held it ever since, becoming the first woman in UFC history to win two divisional titles at the same time, and becoming the first woman to hold two titles at the same time.

Becoming the first womens champion in UFC history, Ronda Rousey was gifted the UFC bantamweight championship after coming over as Strikeforce bantamweight champion.

Holly Holm KOed her way to history after stopping Rousey on her seventh title defense.

Holm wouldnt have a long run after Miesha Tate caught her in a rare naked choke with 1:30 left in the fight.

Nunes first title win came against Tate and started off a run of successful title defenses in the division.

Like de Randamie before her, Nicco Montao never got to defend her title. Unlike de Randamie, Montao was stripped of her title due to complications due to weight cutting issues.

Valentina Schevchenko became the first woman to successfully defend the womens flyweight championship after defeating former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejzyk to win the belt.

The first womens strawweight champion was crowned on the Ultimate Fighter season 20 finale when Carla Esparza defeated Rose Namajunas.

Jedrzejczyk defeated Esparza to win the championship and would have five successful defenses as champion.

Namajunas would rebound to losing to Esparza by being the one who dethroned Jedrzejczyk. Shed win the rematch against Jedrzejczyk.

After winning the rematch, Namajunas would lose the title to Jessica Andrade. She wouldnt hold it for long.

In her home country of China, Weili Zhang defeated Andrade, becoming the first fighter of Chinese descent to win a UFC championship.

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Here is every UFC womens champion in the history of the promotion - FanSided

Meet The STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS of Marvel’s New Comic – Screen Rant

Its a tale of revenge and retribution in the galactic underworld when cyborg Beilert Valance, Boba Fett and Bossk are confronted by the scoundrel that double-crossed them all, in Star Wars: Bounty Hunters from Marvel Comics. The new Galaxys Deadliest story arc from Star Wars veterans, writer Ethan Sacks and artist Paolo Villanelli brings together the most notorious bounty hunters to settle the score with a turncoat that swindled the most nefarious syndicate in the sector. The ensemble cast of scum and villainy is joined by tomb-raider Doctor Aphra and the Wookiee Black Krrsantan in an ongoing monthly series that promises to round up more than just the usual subjects.

The Star Wars galaxy can get a little rough, whether its in the seedy cantinas of Mos Eisley or running spice across the Rishi Maze, and criminal clans and cartels coerce vulnerable systems and plunder starlanes beyond the reach of the Galactic Empire and often under their very eyes. The five syndicates, as they are known in the trade, are Black Sun, Crimson Dawn, the Crymorah syndicate, the Hutt Clan, and the Pyke Syndicate and constituents includes calculating smugglers, violent mercenaries, and relentless bounty hunters, often selling their services on a contract-basis.

Related:Star Wars Drops A Major Clue To Project Luminous

Soldiers of fortune, sworn to the Code of Bounty Hunters Guild, the uncompromising trackers pursue their marks from the furthest depths of wild space to the lower reaches of Coruscants underbelly. The ranks of these infamous mercenaries include some of the most popular characters in the Star War Universe, such as Zam Wesell and Jango Fett from Attack of the Clones, Asajj Ventriss, Aurra Sing, and Cad Bane from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and IG-88, 4-LOM, and Zuckuss from The Empire Strikes Back. In the courts of the gangster Hutts and secret guild safehouses scattered across distant starports, bounty hunters backstab rivals over high-stakes contracts and in the employ of conspicuous clients.

In Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, creators Ethan Sacks and Paolo Villanelli take aim at cyborg Beilert Valance, elite mercenary from Star Wars: Target Vader and Han Solo, Imperial Cadet. A morally-bankrupt villain that pilfers bounties from fellow hunters, Beilert Valance has hunted Vader, murdered his rivals under dubious circumstances, and is considered both a failure of the Empire and a failure of the Bounty Hunters Guild. When a mentor, Nakano Lash botches a mission at an Unbroken Clan outpost and kills the client in Galaxys Deadliest: Ghosts of Corellia, Valance and his allies the volatile Trandoshan Bossk and the dour Boba Fett find theyve been hoodwinked once again, and vow to take revenge on the Nautolan bounty hunter.

While the helmed hunter-for-hire Boba Fett and the lizard-like Bossk are familiar faces for fans of the film franchise, Valance is lesser known though the character pre-dates both his fellow villains in the pages of Marvel Comics. First appearing in 1978s Star Wars issue 18, cyborg bounty hunter Valance stalks the cover of an Archie Goodwin/Walt Simonson classic, alongside the likes of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Chewbacca, later earning the name Beilert in The Hunt Within: Valance's Tale, a series of scenarios for the Star Wars Miniatures game from Wizards of the Coast. Valance resurfaced most recently in the comic book adaptation of Solo: A Star Wars Story and in Star Wars: Han Solo, Imperial Cadet though it wasnt until he picked up a contract, in 2019s Star Wars: Target Vader, to snuff a Sith Lord with a team of snipers and trackers, including the Corellian, Dengar, that Beilert Valance made his mark on the galaxy. Now the contract-killer has reunited with Bossk and Fett in the ongoing Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, set in the wake of the pivotal events portrayed in The Empire Strikes Back.

Competition is stiff in the gig-economy of bounty hunting, and fickle allies can turn a profit trafficking information on a former friend. The substantial price on the head of Valances erstwhile mentor, Nakano Lash sends unsavory bounty hunters from across Known Space scrambling to cash-in on the big-ticket hit. In Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, the enticing contract for Lashs life, however perilous, attracts famed archeologist and saboteur Doctor Aphra and her crew-member, Black Krrsantan, whose unmatched expertise earned the Wookiee a contract from Lord Vader himself.

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The rogues gallery of bounty hunters assembled in the "Galaxys Deadliest: Ghosts of Corellia story arc to collect on the first-rate reward includes the ambitious, green-skinned Ooris, murder and schemer that attempted feed Han Solo and Chewbacca to the tentacled mouths of a sarlacc nursery in the premier issue of Ethan Sacks Star Wars: Galaxys Edge. And Tonga, twin-sister of a bounty hunter slain by Lash during the botched raid on the Unbroken Clan that earned her death warrant, has journeyed from the distant moon of Logal Ri to stake her claim, driven more by a desire for vengeance than for credits.

Star Wars: Bounty Hunters features some of the galaxys deadliest bounty hunters, as well as some of the franchises most talented creators. Ethan Sacks and Paolo Villanelli have crisscrossed the Star Wars Universe, crafting tales of rebellions won and allies lost in Jedi: Fallen Order, Vader: Dark Visions, and Journey to Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker - Allegiance. With so much behind this new series, we can only say... Thank the Maker!

NEVER BETRAY A BOUNTY HUNTER - ESPECIALLY IF IT'S BOBA FETT! Years ago, VALANCE and fellow bounty hunters BOSSK and BOBA FETT took on a mission that went sideways in a bad way after Valance's mentor, NAKANO LASH, violently betrayed them. Valance's team barely escaped with their lives. He never thought he'd face his old mentor ever again...until Lash finally resurfaces under mysterious circumstances. Every bounty hunter in the galaxy wants a piece and Valance is hell-bent on getting to the prize first. He has score to settle-but so does Boba Fett!

Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #1is available now at a comic book shop near you.

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SJ Twining is a Comics News/Features Writer at Screen Rant with a keen enthusiasm for Bronze Age comics, Dungeons & Dragons, Tolkien, Swords & Sorcery, Star Wars, Zenomorphs, Micronauts, Edgar Allan Poe, Elric of Melnibone, Maurice Sendak + collecting mushrooms. Contact: wanderingmonsters@icloud.com

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Meet The STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS of Marvel's New Comic - Screen Rant