In 1965 MIT had a very special computer that took hundred of scientists and officials to operate. It was so special that it took up half a building, and cost eleven million dollars. Thanks to a pesky little phenomenon called Moore's law, the number of transistors able to be placed on a circuit doubles every couple of years.

Viola! Now that $11 million computer (which is a thousand times less powerful), in this case the iPhone and its new iOS 5, can be held in your pocket. If you're an actor, it allows you to accidentally take naked pictures of yourself (apologies for the lack of a hyperlink Scarlet Johansson fans). If you're away from a TV and are a Cowboys fan, it allows you to scream invectives at Tony Romo. If you're a cinematographer for a big budget Hollywood film like the Avengers, you can actually shoot a scene starring Robert Downey Jr. with its new 1080p full HD video capability. (here's what your new HKL experience will look like, by the way):

If you're like me, and you can't afford one, it allows to just be dull and envious. But in short, technology is kind of a big deal. It's such a big deal that your retinas literally can't handle it. The human eye can't distinguish images beyond 300 pixels per inch (ppi). This technology from the iPhone, called the 'Retina Display' (which contains 326 ppi), is so designed because it allows text to be as easily read as "traditional print". In other words, don't listen to the luddites that tell you the internet is rotting your brain. 

Especially not here at Head Kick Legend, where I will personally bring you the latest in science, ham-fisted essays on MMA history, and pretend to be an expert on kickboxing which I honestly never watch. But seriously, it'll be a busy week of October. What do viruses have to do with Paulo Filho? What are the five fights you should be watching to be an informed viewer for UFC 137 this weekend? Why is marijuana actually good for Nick Diaz, and what's the latest on the concussion front?

I hope you guys stay tuned. We want active readers. Speaking of, the new Update has improved the comments section with faster load times. In addition, as our headquarters notes, " fast browsing of comments that are new to you -- If you're familiar with our keyboard shortcuts for comments on the web - pressing the Z-key will will simultaneously mark a comment as read and tab forward to the next unread comment - we have built the same functionality into the iPhone app." The update will also include a new In-App browser that allows you to browse for as long as you want.

For you Android users (fun fact: the current Android's processing power is 1.5GHz, which is nearly the equivalent of a 2005 Home PC with an output of 1.8GhHz...beware of Skynet), expect the App to be out by the holidays. If you've already downloaded the app, hit the jump and tell us what your experience has been like with our poll.

Before, I forget, here's where you can download the latest App. 

Also, here's a cool article on why computer voices are typically female.

Information on head injuries continue to inundate the sports world. A couple of weeks ago, sincere questions began to surround the link between brain trauma and addiction. And weeks before that, sincere questions have surrounded the link between brain trauma and Parkinson's.

The sport's world has responded slowly, but pieces are being moved. In a study involving three Division 1 college teams, it was revealed that college players suffer more hits to the head during practice than during the games, leading the Ivy League to reduce the amount of full contact practices to 2 per week (the limit is five per N.C.A.A guidelines). As Purdue University notes, the changes are being written into law as well.

A new Indiana law requires student-athletes to be removed immediately from athletic activities if it is suspected they have suffered a head injury. In order to return to play, injured athletes must be evaluated and cleared by a health-care provider trained in head injury assessment.

In addition to Indiana, several states have passed laws governing the management of suspected head injury to school-aged athletes ranging from classes for coaches and referees to removal from play and evaluation by a physician trained in head injury assessment.

In addition, new studies are looking to catch concussions early. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania think that a two minute reading test where numbers are arranged in zigzagging patterns read from left to right could be crucial for testing purposes. According to Dr. Laura Balcer in a brief piece for Scientific American by Erica Westly (it should be noted that mixed martial artists were involved in this study):

'Typically people can complete the test faster the more times they take it'...But the athletes who had experienced head trauma during their fights read the cards more than 11 seconds slower when they took the test a second time.

Fighters who had lost consciousness fared especially poorly, worsening by 18 seconds on average. Now Balcer and her collaborators are studying the test’s ability to predict concussions in athletes who play football and other contact sports.

What's interesting about Balcer's test is that it sounds eerily familiar to the sensory-motor tests used to measure the age of the brain, and how fast it is shrinking. After 30, the brain loses a quarter of a percent of its mass annually, and any shrinkage is exacerbated by alcohol, and even gender (a man's brain shrinks faster than a woman's). At least in those tests, the average time to complete them for ages 20-29 is 122 seconds. A scary thought is how many might be taking, say, 228 seconds to complete the tests, as that is the average amount of time it takes for a 60 year old to complete them.

Beyond alcohol and gender, and just plain age as factors in brain tissue loss, so are head injuries. But the 'how' and the 'why' are complicated. To what extent are head impact exposure and injury linked? That's the question on Dr. Jospeh J. Crisco's mind, who is currently studying the relationship between head acceleration, and impact location (is one factor more critical than the other?).

However, while the threat is real, how behavior is ultimately affected by brain trauma remains a tricky one. That was the topic raised by Dr. Robert Cantu in suggesting a link between brain trauma and addiction. Rather than articulate my own thoughts about the care required for such suggestions, I decided to ask David Epstein about the nature of causality between the brain and behavior. He was, as always, kind enough to provide more than just a few words (his quote in full after the jump).

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Here’s a fight people have been waiting for for almost 10 years. Regardless of how you feel about their careers right now, it is impossible to deny that both of these men are two of the greatest fighters of all-time. Unfortunately, it has been made fairly clear that whoever loses will be cut from Strikeforce/Zuffa. This is odd, seeing as Dan Henderson is the current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion, and this fight is not for his belt. Regardless, this is a fight that has been a long time in the making, and has all MMA fans taking notice.

The fight began with the fireworks that we all expected. Both men came out swinging wildly, with both men connecting. Hendo clinched Fedor against the cage, where we could see that Fedor had already been cut under his right eye that was horribly damaged in his last fight against Bigfoot Silva. Henderson began working knees to Fedor’s legs and knees against the cage. Henderson decided to break the clinch, and delivered a left hook on his way out. Fedor began to stalk Henderson, and connected with two huge shots that dropped Hendo down to the ground. Fedor jumped down to finish the fight, but was quickly reversed. As Henderson moved to the back, he delivered a huge uppercut under Fedor’s arm that briefly put Fedor out. Henderson jumped on top and delivered a few more shots before Herb Dean jumped in and called an end to the fight.

Wow. Wow. Wow! At 4:12 of the first round, Dan Henderson defeated Fedor Emelianenko by TKO. Wow. That fight did not disappoint. I initially felt that the stoppage came early, but from replays you could see that Fedor temporarily went limp after the big uppercut from Hendo. It’s safe to say that this is the end of the road for Emelianennko. As was the case for all of the other fights on tonight’s card, it’s hard to say where either man goes from here. Hendo’s contract is up, and it doesn’t seem like Zuffa thinks he’s worth the money anymore (which is ludicrous, seeing as he is a title holder). As for Fedor, there is no way that Zuffa is going to keep him now that he has lost three fights in a row. I guess we’ll have to stay tuned to see where either of these legends wind up next.

It is not very often that you get a match-up of two fighters widely considered in the top 5 pound-for-pound in the world. That’s exactly what you get with Marloes Coenen vs. Miesha Tate, who face off for Strikeforce’s 135 pound title.

The first round began with a bang, as both fighters declined to touch gloves and immediately began working up against the cage. Tate got the upperhand initially, pummeling and even working the often underutilized foot stomp. Coenen was able to reverse positions briefly, but eventually found her back back up against the cage. The fighters briefly reset in the middle of the cage, before Tate pushed Coenen back up against the cage. Coenen immediately placed her hands in position for a guillotine, before dragging the fight to the floor. It seemed like she had Tate in legitimate danger from the submission, but ultimately failed to get the stoppage. Tate began working from top control, where she worked her way into side control. She delievered a few shots from the top, and finished the round in this position.

The second began much like the first, with both ladies clinching before Tate pushed Coenen up against the cage. Tate tried to work for a single leg takedown, but Coenen expertly transitioned onto Tate’s back and dragged them down to the floor. On the mat, Coenen cinched up a body lock with her legs and started to deliver strikes in hopes of opening up the lanes for a choke. The two continued an epic battle of hand fighting, as Tate defended her neck. Marloes temporarily gave up on the choke and began to deliver some big shots from back mount. The two continued their battle for positioning as the round came to an end. While there may not have been a ton of action, it was clear that this round was all Marloes Coenen.

The third round saw both women show some intentions to keep the fight standing, as they exchanged kicks and punches. Coenen tried for a leg kick which had initially found success, but saw it caught by Tate who used it to drag the fight down to the mat. As we’ve come to expect, Coenen remained active on her back, using excellent hip movement to always threaten a submission. Miesha Tate did little from the top, which ultimately led to both fighters begin stood back up. This only lasted for a second though, as Tate secured yet another takedown. With 10 seconds remaining, Coenen executed a great sweep to end the round in top position.

The fourth saw another early exchange from both fighters. Tate was able to secure another takedown, which Coenen immediately turned into a guillotine. Tate freed her head and found herself in side control. Coenen tried to walk up the cage to escape bottom position, but found herself on the wrong end of a arm triangle choke. Tate jumped over her hips and sunk the choke in deep. Coenen tried to defend it, but in the end succumbed to the choke and tapped out.

A very impressive display of grappling by Meisha Tate tonight. She was able to take the fight down to the ground whenever she wanted, and applied the fight winning submission expertly and with ease. As for Coenen, it was only a matter of time before her last second, comeback tactics came back to bite her, and tonight was that time.

While Tyron Woodley has gotten off to an impressive 8-0 start as a professional, it is safe to say that he has not faced anyone even close to the level of Paul Daley. A win tonight will not only secure his spot at the top of the Strikeforce Welterweight division, but will also shoot him up the Welterweight rankings across all promotions. As for Paul Daley, he is coming off of one of the most impressive TKO loses in recent memory. Daley was very close to finishing Nick Diaz at two separate points in the first round of their fight, before being finished himself with only three seconds remaining in the first. A win for either will come with all but a guarantee for a shot at the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight championship.

The first round got underway with Paul Daley trying for a knee to the body, which Woodley caught and used to clinch Daley up against the cage. Before either man could start to work, Daley hit Woodley below the belt with a knee that lead to a break in the action. Off of the restart, Woodley tried for a headkick that Daley was able to block, before rushing in for the takedown. Daley stuffed, but still found his back up against the cage where Woodley began delivering knees to the legs. The referee was unhappy with either man’s progress and restarted them, but Woodley quickly rushed in and again clinched Daley up against the cage. Both men continued to grapple, but neither managed to deliver much damage. Woodley landed a few solid shots to the body, but ultimately both men just pummeled until the round came to an end.

The second began with a quick takedown attempt by Woodley, but again Daley was able to stuff it. It’s obvious Daley had a few wrestlers in his camp. Woodley again began to work some body shots up against the cage, and this time quickly dropped down for a single leg that he was able to execute. Daley quickly established his full guard, in hopes of negating Woodley’s superior grappling skills. Neither man was doing anything and I found it surprising that Big John declined to stand them back up. Daley tried to work his way back to his feet, but couldn’t move Woodley’s heavy hips and went back into full guard. Finally, with only 20 seconds remaining, they were stood back up but Woodley immediately went for another takedown. This one Daley was able to stuff, and deliver some ground-and-pound before the round came to an end.

The third round got off to a better start than the previous two, with Daley pushing the pace before he was caught by a knee to the head from Woodley. From here, Woodley shot in and secured a takedown, but Daley grabbed wrist control and began working for a kimura. Woodley was able to escape and move into half guard, where he delivered some big elbows to Daley’s face. Daley was able to scramble to his feet, where he connected with a big right hand that sent Woodley desperately looking for the takedown. Daley was again able to stuff, and delivered some more punishment on the feet. Woodley dove for another takedown, which Daley not only stuffed, but swept into an omaplata attempt. Flabbergasted. Woodley was able to escape this submission attempt, and finished the fight on top in Daley’s guard.

The judges scored this fight unanimously in favor of Tyron Woodley. It’s safe to say that his takedowns are what won it for him, despite the fact that he really did nothing with it. Oh well, thus is life under the reign of the 10 Point Must System. I’m still really underwhelmed with Woodley’s performances, but it’s hard to argue with giving the kid a title shot. As for Daley, it’s hard to say where he goes from here. I don’t know of anyone else in the Strikeforce Welterweight division that could give him a problem, and we all know that a move to the UFC is out of the question. I still just can’t get over his omaplata attempt. That was unexpected, to say the least.

I’ll be honest, I completely forgot that this fight was on the card tonight. That being said, now that I have been reminded by looking at the Strikeforce website, I am very excited for this match-up. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I saw a boring Scott Smith fight. A look at his record shows that win or lose, Smith has not had a fight go to decision since his bout against Patrick Cote at UFC 67 in 2007. As for Tarec Saffiedine, he is a young, up-and-comer that trains with one half of tonight’s main event, Dan Henderson.   

The fight began with an early feeling out process by both men, each trying to establish their range with the jab. Saffiedine was the first to truly strike, landing several unchecked leg kicks on Smith. He tried to work his kicks upstairs, but Smith was able to easily block the kick, before tying up Tarec against the cage. Surprisingly, Saffiedine was able to quickly reverse the position and push Smith’s back up against the cage. He was able to deliver several punches and knees to the body, before both fighter’s released and reset in the center of the cage. Smith began to try to push the pace, but was stopped by a well-timed headkick by Saffiedine that connected. Smith immediately grabbed for a single leg, but was unable to do anything with it. Tarec connected with a right hook, and tried to follow it up with another headkick but came up short. With the round coming to an end, Saffiedine threw a spinning heel kick that Smith was largely able to avoid.

In between rounds, we could see that Scott Smith’s face was marked with various little cuts, but nothing that would immediately threaten the continuation of the fight. The second round began with Saffiedine coming out and establishing control in the center of the ring. He once again found success with the leg kicks, which apparently Smith was never taught to check. Saffiedine came upstairs with a body kick, and landed it clean which pushed Smith up against the cage. Tarec then connected with a right hook that seemed to temporarily buckle Smith, but ultimately failed on knocking him down. He tried for the highlight reel KO with a flying knee, but Scott was able to block it. Saffiedine then began to work inside with several short elbows while clinched up against the cage. Tarec connected with another right hook that really wobbled Smith, but he was able to grab a hold of a leg to prevent further damage. Saffiedine freed his leg and quickly spun around to Smith’s back, where he tried to establish his hooks. Smith smartly worked his way forward, and was able to get back to his feet. Saffiedine finished this largely one sided round with another brief flurry of strikes, before Smith tied him up to end the round.

As we entered the third, it was clear that Scott Smith’s only chance of winning this fight was by finishing. This seemed unlikely as his gas tank was on empty and he was already rocked twice. Saffiedine was again the first to strike by connecting with a quick two punch combo followed by a leg kick. Smith had absolutely nothing to offer Tarec, as his punches were hitting nothing but air. At this point, Saffiedine had also begun to tired, so his barrage of punches began to taper off. That being said, he was still able to land any shot that he attempted as Smith was offering no head or body movement. Tarec landed a few more punches, which really caused the blood to start flowing from Smith’s face. With thirty seconds remaining, Smith began to go into desperation mode, wildly winging haymakers, but was unable to connect with any of them. The round came to an end with Smith trying for a headkick, but Saffiedine was able to get out of the way.

Tarec Saffiedine just made Scott Smith look like a local, amateur fighter that Strikefokrce pulled off of the streets. Smith had absolutely nothing to offer offensively, and was nothing more than a giant punching bag on the night. If there was any doubt, the judges’ scored the fight 30-26, 30-27, 30-27. It’s hard to say what this means for Saffiedine, especially if Woodley wins tonight against Paul Daley. Do we really want to see a rematch between those two? Regardless, Saffiedine definitely has a bright future, with a very impressive display of striking prowess tonight.

Tonight I will be providing you with live results and commentary of Take-On Productions' "Battle at the Beacon". There's a jam packed card tonight, with over 19 muay thai bouts scheduled. I will be extensively covering the main card which features four professional fights, as well as amateur bouts for the WKA Super Middleweight and Super Lightweight titles. After the action is done tonight, make sure to check in tomorrow for my full write-up on the event, including my thoughts on the undercard and the production as a whole.

As for the action at hand, "Battle at the Beacon" boasts the largest muay thai show in New York City history. The undercard is filled with 11 local amateur fights, including two female bouts. The main card mostly contains professional fights, although there are also four highly touted amateurs scheduled to meet. Among the pros featured tonight are Nisvet Sivac, a veteran fighter from the Netherlands, Douglas Edwards, a fighter out of Fairtex San Fransisco, as well as Omar Ahmed, Sean Hinds, Eddie Martinez, and Turan Hasanov. Rounding out the professional fights is a rematch between Andy Singh and Eric Ruiz, who fought in a barn burner of a amateur fight back in 2010. In the co-main event, we have Brandon Mickens looking to defend his WKA Super Lightweight championship over local product Jay Matias. In the main event, Nick Vaughan looks to overtake Gaiuss Ebratt as the WKA Super Middleweight champion.

 I'll post my commentary after the jump, updating each fight as they come to a close. Enjoy!

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Simply put, these two do not get along. Going back to some stupid beef over Dominick Cruz not being on the WEC 26 poster, Cruz and Faber have been bitter rivals for several years. Cruz is borderline obsessed with avenging his only career loss that came at the hands of Faber. Urijah Faber is looking to reestablish himself as a champion, this time at 135 lbs. Regardless, both men epitomize the exciting styles that make the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions so electrifying.

Surprise, surprise, neither man wants to touch gloves to start the fight. Cruz opens the action with a straight punch that lands on Faber’s butt chin. Cruz immediately goes into full on dance mode. Faber ducks under and tries for a takedown, but Cruz expertly defends it and keeps the fight on its feet. Two minutes in and Cruz is clearly dominating this fight so far, as Faber is having a hard time connecting. As I write that Faber connects with a punch-knee combo that briefly knocks Cruz down. Cruz gets back up, and narrowly avoids a huge hook thrown by Faber. Faber tries to move in but Cruz times it out and delivers with a uppercut. Cruz’s pace may be taking a toll on himself, as he is taking big, deep breaths with over a minute left in the round. Faber tied him up against the cage, and connects with a strong two punch combo on the way out. Cruz attempted a flying knee that missed, and ended the round trying to land a single leg takedown off of a caught kick. The first round was close with Cruz delivering more strikes and maintaining octagon control, but Faber was doing well with delivering damage off of the counter.

The second starts with a quick right delivered by Urijah. They continue to evenly exchange in the center of the ring. Cruz connects with two strong shots to Faber’s jaw, but the California Kid takes them in stride. Cruz tries with a kick, but eats a counter on the way out. Faber hits him with another strong right. There’s a whole lot of head movement going on in the middle of the round, but not a lot connecting. Cruz found some success going body-head, but failed to deliver any real damage. He follows it up by going head-body, this time with kicks. Cruz is still bouncing around, but he definitely seems to be gassing with about a minute left in the round. Cruz tried to work his way in again, but this time ate a big right from Faber that sent him stumbling back. Rather than rush in, Urijah backed up as to not spend a lot of energy. With thirty seconds left in the round, Dominick lands a takedown that may help him secure the round. He ends the second with a two kick, two punch combination.

This fight is very close as we begin the third round. Faber continues his success landing punches of the counter as Cruz dives in. Cruz ducks under, almost feinting a takedown, and lands a quick succession of strikes. Faber peppers Cruz with counters as he continues his dancing chicken technique. Cruz lands solid with a combination that seems to at least temporarily shake Faber’s foundation. As I write that, Faber ducks under and secures a takedown, but is quickly reversed by Cruz. Both men continue to scramble, and eventually find their way back to their feet. Cruz throws a headkick that is blocked by Faber, but follows it up with a straight right that finds some more success. Faber answers by landing a winging right of his own. Dominick tries to land another takedown as the round comes to a close, but is unsuccessful.

As we enter the championship rounds, it would appear that Cruz is ahead on the scorecards. Faber is connecting off the counter, but Cruz is getting the best of the standup. He continues this at the start of the fourth by landing a quick combination. Of course it was "quick", everything these two do is quick. Cruz lands another solid right hook, that forces Faber to back out of the pocket. Faber lands an inside leg kick, and follows it up with a big right hook that causes Cruz to temporarily lose his footing. He regains his composure, but he has definitely lost a step now. Dominick answers with a right hand followed by a body kick that lands flush. Cruz ducks under for another takedown attempt, but Faber manages to stuff it and stand back up. Faber is getting the better of the stand up in this round, as he is starting to time out Cruz’s head movement. Cruz ties Urjiah up against the cage, and that’s where the round comes to an end.

Going into the fifth and final round, I would definitely say it was Dominick Cruz’s fight, but it is really close. Cruz opens the fifth with an attempted flying knee, that initially seems to miss before we see Faber slightly wobble. Cruz feints a superman punch, before ducking under for a takedown which is briefly successful. Cruz temporarily has Faber’s back against the cage, but Urijah is able to circle away. Cruz tries to duck under again, but Faber latches onto his neck to threaten a guillotine. Seeing as it’s the fifth round, Cruz was able to slip his head out. Cruz ducks under again, and this time lands a clean takedown. Faber scrambles underneath and stands back up before Cruz lands another takedown. Like the good wrestler that he is, Faber refuses to let his back stay on the mat and manages to stand back up. Under a minute and a half remaining as both men continue their dancing in the center of the octagon. Both men briefly exchange, before Cruz is able to land yet another takedown with about thirty seconds left in the fight. Cruz tries another takedown, but Faber is able to stuff it as the fight comes to an end.

Both men walked to their corners with their hands held high, and it’s hard to argue with either of them. We go to the judges’ scorecards, who have it 50-45, 49-46, 48-47 in favor of Dominick Cruz. To say that Cruz was emphatic with his victory, is an understatement. It was very obvious that his loss to Faber at WEC 26 was a huge motivating factor going into this fight. While it was close (much closer than 50-45), Dominick Cruz deserved the victory as he landed more strikes and even more takedowns. That being said, I certainly wouldn’t be against seeing Cruz v. Faber III.