Game Review: The Con

THE CON

Wow. This game is a throwback for me at this point. I just finished it. Believe it or not, I actually logged over 200 hours into this game before I beat it. I must say that I not only enjoyed the game, but I grossly disagree with the reviews that I've seen out there on the internet.

 The Con was a launch title for the PSP back in 2005. At the time, I was working at Modell's and going to X-ray school. I was graduating that year, but determined to get either the PSP or the Nintendo DS at launch. For long months, I looked at every game magazine I could, comparing both of the upcoming handheld consoles. I really was a Nintendo fanboy at that point, and wanted a reason to get the DS at launch, but I saw such a weak launch line-up and no real guarantee of system quality. I had the Gameboy Advance SP before that, and I was actually angry at how fast the game industry started to move at that time. That marked the end of the era where consoles were long-term investments by design. I also remember how at that time, video game magazines actually had information worth reading that you wouldn't see on the web. The internet, during the early 2000's, up until past 2005, was still somewhat limited. Social media wasn't fully in control yet. In fact, it's still amazing to think back to the fact that while I was in high school, none of that existed at all. We went online during those days, to take care of business, chill on chat rooms for a minute, play a few PC games, and then we were off. In those days, our lives weren't tied yet to computers or smart phones which didn't really exist yet. As a student in school, I remember selling a huge amount of my games to get the money ready to get one of the handheld consoles. I was mad that the SP was dead, and for about 2 years, Nintendo had been announcing the upcoming DS, and we all speculated as to what it would be like. I liked the library for the Gameboy Advance, especially towards the end, and I remember Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories being the last game I beat for it. I sat in awe, watching the ending, and hearing the entire them song being played during it. What an experience.

  I looked at the footage for the PSP launch games, and it seemed more honest. They were also honest with their only weakness, which was the battery life. I soon found that it wasn't that big of an issue. That was the first time in history that Sony, a company I had hated, was actually the well wishing company. Nintendo was so used to dominating the handheld market, that they put little effort into the process of the release. They showed very little footage. None of it looked impressive to me, except for what looked like a cutscene from a slated Sonic game, which wouldn't actually be released until years after the system launched. It looked cool, but I knew it was a farce due to the scant images. Ultimately, I decided to get the PSP. I was super excited when I finally had the money together. Among the titles I got when it launched was Metal Gear, Wipeout, and I got "The Con" a bit later. When I got it, I was drawn in by the graphics and the very detailed combat I saw. Like other PSP titles, I didn't get into it until later. When I did, I didn't understand the mechanics or the betting system.

  The game teaches you about the odds system, and how to bet against and for yourself in matches, and take dives, or pull out upsets. It follows a surprisingly deep story of a combatant who comes to the aid of gang leader who is nearly killed by an underground lord who runs a fight organization. The entire game is based around getting enough money together to climb the ranks and compete in his tournament. The ultimate plan is to then take him down. The way the cutscenes and story unfold are very good, and that will surprise you for the kind of game that it is. Also, the customizing options are very elaborate and involved.

  I created my fighter, assembled and named my team, and began putting together my arsenal of moves. The game has very deep mechanics that will seem simple at first glance. That's the same thing that is the case with Smash Brothers Melee. I hear a lot of simple people state how simple Super Smash Brothers is, and also say that The Con isn't a full fighting game, due to your feet being planted during combat, and being unable to jump. If that's the case, then the deepest fighting game that I've ever played is shallow- UFC 3. There is no jump option in that game, but I can guarantee you that a button masher will not play that game long. The Con is exactly the same. you have the 4 face buttons that correspond to  each limb, like UFC. pressing two buttons along with a direction, does one of a number of super specials. Tapping the face buttons during attack and specials, adds damage. The face buttons are pressed in various set sequences to perform combinations. You have to know your moves. That system reminds me of an early Xbox game by the name of "Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus." In both games, you cannot freely press random sequences and expect combos to flow out. I like that. It can take getting used to, but it requires you to develop skill. You can perform custom combos to a degree, but there is no getting around learning your character's style and moves. You have a reversal system where tapping the shoulder button at the right time can perform a parry which gives you a window attack, or if done right, a perfect parry, with performs a counter combo that you can add damage to by tapping the face buttons with the hits. You also have a grab move. The other shoulder button performs a "Con", which either makes you take extra damage to throw a fight when timed, or do very little damage with your attacks to fake a fight. Each style also has a specialized short combo move that is good for quick damage. Those have set button patterns. All of your other combos are made by you. You have to remember the sequences. In the game you have several styles represented- Street Boxing, Jeet Kun Do, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Tae Kwon Do, and 1 more I believe, that I can't remember. Each style is drastically unique as it should be.

 As you work through each league, you have to build up $100,000. At first, that seemed impossible, but as you advance to higher leagues, you can wager bigger bets and place bigger cons. This game taught me about odds. I never understood how that math worked. I always hear gamblers talk about it like it's nothing, but I'd just sit there confused. Now, I understand better about underdogs stuff like that. Not that it's super useful knowledge. At the end of each league, you face the boss. That fight is not open to bets, and is for superiority over the league, so it's last man standing rules. The game was very hard at first, and remained very hard until the end. It was only after I was very powerful as a team, that I was able to handle the tough CPU fighters that were thrown at me. In fact, the last boss was no problem. Getting to him was something else though. As you go through the game, you unlock clothing and custom items to use in other modes. This is one game that I feel it is too hard to unlock things in. The requirement you have to meet are ridiculous. You have to win fights as a huge underdog at one point, or beat a tough boss without using your left leg or left hand. Or you may have to beat a certain character while using a certain technique a given amount of times. It was beyond impossible to me. I definitely has me wanting to come back though. The ending was pretty poetic and the game allows you to continue your new game where you left off, so you assemble another team and try to get items again. The only gripe I can think up is that it would have been nice to do other activities in the game, like minigames to break up the fighting action. The bottom line is that the game is very solid. It reminds me of Samurai Warriors for the PSP. That was another game that got very few ratings, and of the ones it got, they were all ignorant and biased. These games deserve better that that. The Con is definitely a must own for Vita or PSP owners. Don't listen to the idiots who played 20 seconds of the game when it came out, and wrote their reviews off of that. Check it out.

8.9/10

Art Appreciation- Aziatic: by AZ

I'm going to do another review of an underappreciated album that came out in 2002. It's "Aziatic." This was a hip-hop gem by an artist that I grew to appreciate more years later.

When I was in high school, in 2002, that's when I got my first job. I was 17 years old and busy playing sports such as wrestling, and weighlifting, as well as juggling a side job as well while looking at colleges and getting priorities in order. I used to cut school on occasion to play games at the arcade from time to time, and I wrote a few of my poetry collections back then. I channeled a lot of my inner rage and frustration into my poems, and my teacher- who Magnum Opus is dedicated to, used to keep me fired up about that passion and encourage me. He himself was a fan of Eminem and used to break down and analyze the depth in his lyrics and other literary works. In fact, that was the nature of that course he taught.

 Late in that year of 2002, I remember watching MTV and VH1 when I was home from school, and looking for the eclectic music to pop up that I appreciated more. Almost every day, the music video for, "I'm Back"- the first single from the album, would play on TV, and I liked it so much, I would wait to see if they'd play it again before the end of the music segment. It wasn't played a lot, but I knew I wanted to hear more. Even though, I worked, I have to admit that I tended to be a bit cheap at times. There was a bootleg man that came to the Chinese food store by our house at that time. You had to be intuitive to catch him. One day, while me and my brother were in there, perhaps scamming the restaurant, he came along, and I made off like a bandit, because all I probably paid for was a bootleg copy of Aziatic. Of course I'm telling on myself here, but it's funny anyway. See, during  those days, mostly back in my earlier teens, my parents would lock this door at the bottom of the staircase that connected our basement from the rest of the house. They did this because they felt we were going through the kitchen too much during the night hours. Basically, we were locked out of the house at night. In fact, when I think back, it was somewhat cruel. If we needed anything, which we often did, it was too bad until the morning came. I took advantage of this though, and pretty much hung out as long as I wanted during those days. The only thing is that I had to make sure that my brother was there to open the door leading outside from the basement into the back of the house. Otherwise, my parents would leave me out there for punishment. What we would do for years is go to  the Chinese food store during what we lovingly called "Lock Down on cell block 99," at night, and order a couple of items. We would go outside and walk around to the other stores until the order was ready. When it was time to pick up our order, one of us would go in quickly as if in a rush, and tell them that we had paid already. With the heavy business that they got, it worked like a charm. I'm not sure when we stopped doing that, but I do recall that the restaurant, and perhaps many Chinese food store chains changed their policy completely because of us. In time, we couldn't pull it off anymore, and it was LOL hilarious the day we got ultimately caught. It was an awkward moment with a store full of people. and almost like a scene from COPS. I'll talk about that later maybe.

  Anyway, when I got the album, I went home and listened to it over and over. I liked it a lot. There were a few tracks that were favorites of mine, and the others I skipped occasionally. It wasn't until I went to College that I heard more of him. One of my classmates in Xray school was a hip-hop and Kung-fu fanatic. He put me on to a lot of things. He let me hear a lot of underground rappers who I enjoyed. I also go to hear some of AZ's greatest hits album. I've lost alot of the music he gave me. We used to sit down and talk about lyrics and art for hours after and before class. He pretty much took me under his wing. It was during those college years that I was getting more lyrical myself and did most of the writing for my first album- "Pariah." I entered a bunch of National Poetry Contests during those 2 years, and used to collaborate with a friend at the time, doing mixtapes and recordings in another friend's basement. We discussed AZ and Nas, as well as Common, Mos Def, and many other rappers who were sidestepped for not being mainstream. I really didn't see yet how much I related to AZ. I just knew he felt familiar. Around the time I got the album in 2002, a best friend of mine came to visit, and talked with me for hours upon hours about how much he loved and appreciated the endless treasures that were AZ's lyrics- not in those words. That visit stuck in my mind, because it not only reinforced my love for his music, but kept me thinking about the album over the years.


  After graduating from X-ray school, I went through a phase of downloading a lot of music online. I got a lot of Cassidy, as well as AZ material that I hadn't heard. I also had a Wu-Tang cassette album that I got from my brother that had the song, "Whatever Happened," on it. That was a collab between AZ and RZA. It was a song I would quote for years, in fact I still recite AZ's verse from time to time. It was that verse that opened me up to who he really was as an artist. It wasn't until after my first album was done as well as more work, that I realized that he and I shared a very similar writing style. We both waste no words. In so few words, AZ can paint an entire story and say so much, and I found that I had that same affinity as an artist. And it wasn't a copy-cat thing. The same way it used to bother me when people ragged on Kobe as an imitation of Jordan, when in truth, he just had a similar style by nature. The thing about writing like that, is that it can take years before what is said is appreciated. It was all of those years later, that i went back and listened to the Aziatic album in silence without skipping tracks, and was speechless, just the way I was when I first took home and listened to "Pariah," after I finished it. The only difference is that after "Pariah," I was in tears. He says so much on that record in tiny places, that you wonder how you missed all of that. Just phrases like, "Freedom at death," stick out in your mind as one of the few phrase bombs that are quotables in themselves. I would go on to do that myself, and I always credited AZ with inspiring that to a degree.

"The Focus is back. I play a part in this culture of rap, plus I'm real, so I relate on how these voters attack.." - I'm Back


"Gucci slippers, who can diss? 40 deuce movie pictures. What other way but poetically can I prove these scriptures? Drugs sold em'. Cars rode em'. Gun near my scrotum. Got locked. Got right out. Gave what I owed em." - Wanna Be There

"I stay in tune with the stars, sun, and the moon. Cause behind bars you're doomed if your mind can't consume. Plus spiritual pain can bring forth physical reign. And without knowledge of self, how else can a criminal change?" - Your World Don't Stop

Review of Phantasy Star Portable 2

This is a game review for Phantasy Star Portable 2- or as we call it- PSP2. This game was released in North America in September of 2010, a year following the first game on the Sony Playstation Portable- PSP. I remember getting this game around the time I began to transition my library over to the PSP Go. After much debate over physical and digital media, I concluded that streamlining my library and inventory made sense, and was the way the future was going. When the Playstation Network announced the library for the PSP being available for download, I was eager to download the first Phantasy Star Portable, as I loved the game. I played it right after I finished Phantasy Star Universe on the Xbox. Before I go on, it's important that I give a brief history of how great of a franchise this has been to me.

 I was raised on Sega, but not in an RPG household. As a child, I was reared on shooters and racing games starting from the Master System. It wasn't until my pre-teens that I got to find that RPG's were my niche- at least for a period of time. I had a friend who was into them as well, and we both fed each other's love for the genre. I loved that golden era. However, I missed out on the original Phantasy Star. If I had any exposure to it, it was not any I can remember. In fact it's only years later, today, that I'm getting into the first games. What I came to find is that it's one of those games that had a deep story from the beginning. After my teenage phase of Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy, and other legendary RPG's, I eventually got a Sega Dreamcast when in Highschool. I'm proud to say I still have my Dreamcast, although almost none of my original library. I had Grandia 2 as one of my loves for that system, which I may review later, but I also purchased Phantasy Star Online: Part 1 and 2. They came together as a double disc set, and at first, I got the impression that it was a game that was to be played solely online. I was prepared for that, as at the time, online was accessible to me and I had the set up to do it in my basement. Then, I started to play episode 1, and enjoyed the dialogue and cool missions. Episode 1 was very short from what I remember, and I though Episode 2 was only online. When I put it in, I was treated to a continued story and a lush world that unfolded. The story got even better, and the journey was much longer. At this point, I became captivated by it all. That's when I truly started to fall in love with that kind of dungeon grinder/customize RPG, After that game, I would specifically hunt those kind of games down. It just felt so Japanese, and such a treat to have a game like that over here. I had alot of imports during those years, including Shenmue 2. I had no idea of the gems I let slip through my idiotic fingers at times. The last boss in Phantasy Star Episode 2 was Dark Falz. He is the reason I never forget that game. I remember having my customized android character all geared up, and wondering if I could beat the game. I started to hate the mechanics of the game. They were worse then. You couldn't roll or do anything, even block if I remember correctly. I spent hours beating Dark Falz. I almost broke my whole system that day. But after it was over, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the ending. The music in Phantasy Star is one of the things that will blow you away the most, and it emphasizes  how important music is to an experience.

  Then, a couple of years later, I got Phantasy Star Universe for the Xbox. When the game opened up, I was surprised at the different look, and the focus on the presentation this time around. It looked like the story was more of the focus this time around. You had a nice character and good voice acting to go along with a surprisingly long and involved story. I still remember being blown away by the cutscenes and the graphics. I don't remember the game being legendarily hard. It was very good though, because at that time, with so many RPG's on the Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube not really having long playthroughs, it surprised me how long Phantasy Star Universe was, and how much time they took developing the story. It was a great experience and when I got the Playstation Portable continuation, I was confident in it being great as well. It was. The first game was very entertaining, and took right over from the Xbox as if it didn't skip a beat. I did notice a bit lacking as far as customization, and gameplay. I don't recall alot of super cutscenes.  I loved the game overall, and then got part 2 for Download on the PSN. When the game started up, I was immediately awestruck by how the presentation jumped in detail. The ability to customize as well as the story and everything else took a huge step up from even the Xbox game. That is a very serious statement. It is that good of a game. I noticed the new mechanics that allowed evasion and blocking, as well as intricate usage of weapons and abilities, including special moves that could be learned. The combat was so refreshing and action-packed. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the older games in the series.

  I enjoyed going off on the side quests and talking to the NPC's in the game because there was always something new to see, and the game treats side-quests like they matter. I put over 60 hours into the game before facing the last boss. He was quite epic. He was very hard. He wasn't as hard as the great Troika from "The Red Star." But then again, not many are as hard as that fool. He's part of an elite club who you deserve a T-shirt for beating. PSP2's last boss was however, very hard. Make no mistake, he can have you break something. In fact, that game had some moments where I flared up on violent rage. I also beat Killzone Liberation, and both games took me there. The only thing about Killzone is that it's ends so abruptly that the rage can't fester. Anyway, in the end, the music was amazing. The game gives you these simulated game discs that let you play the music in your room. But unfortunately, they don't give you copies of some of the best songs. During the credits, the music that played was absolutely epic. It was like Kingdom Hearts, in that it played out an entire song arrangement with backing vocals. I really liked it. The ending was great, and the game continues afterward. There is so much to do in that game. It sucks that it hasn't carried over to the Vita's library. I"m currently trying to transition all of my stuff to the Vita.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

This is just another update on the state of things in the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight that may never happen. I had to write this quickly after just watching Alex "The Cheat" Ariza blast Bob Arum in an ESNEWS interview. First of all, for a dirty steroid pushing cheat like him to talk about the tyranny of Bob Arum and its longstanding nature is laughable.

  But the major take home point is this- all of the fans and media, including Ariza, who buy the fact that the fight isn't happening because of Bob Arum, are ignorant. They are the reason why tyranny will continue going on in the sport. Mayweather is trying to use Bob Arum as a smokescreen, and to anyone with a single brain cell, it should be overly obvious. He claims injustices done to him while under Arum's umbrella at Top Rank years ago, leading to his decision to leave in the first place and begin the Mayweather Promotions. Mayweather Promotions, according to 50 Cent, isn't even a legit, and sturdy or bonafide organization in itself. I keep hearing Ariza say in the interview, as well as Mayweather, that many fighters left Arum in order to pursue big fights, because of Arum's greedy business dealings. This is where you all get duped. Mayweather is not under Top Rank. He has his own promotion company. I'm not doubting how Bob Arum is as a person, but use your head. If there is anything for Mayweather to be concerned about as far as back-door hustles, it would have to be for the sake of Manny Pacquiao, because he would be the only person affected. I sincerely doubt that Mayweather is looking out for Pacman. No one is asking that he sign with Arum. No one asking that he put himself in a position to be under Arum or anyone else. This is an executive, who is digressing to a fighter's demands so that a fight can be made. Think of it this way- If you were working for a company that undermined your wages for years, and suddenly, years later, you find yourself in a position above that company, and poised to be able to make a collective deal with that same company, where you would be in charge, and make the lion's share, and more than you have ever made in life, would you, in a million years, say no and walk away from the deal because of personal feeling about the past? If you say yes, you're either a liar or an idiot. I used to work at Model's and was treated unfairly at that time. Years later, when I made more than the top manager there, I enjoyed coming back to the store to flaunt my success. I never said to myself that I refuse to walk in there and purchase their products based off of feelings, when I was in a better position than them. It's not like I was debating taking a job there again. Imagine if I had the prospect of now owning that Models years later. It's the same principle. And I don't want to hear about Arum owing him money, because that's a load of crap, and if it was that serious, he would have taken him to court outside of boxing, just like Don King could take him to court, being that he apparently owes King $500,000.00.

 The other major point that I hear is about transparency. Alex Ariza sounds very much as if he is hired by Floyd, because that is the only way to preach about how transparent Floyd has been, and about how badly he wants the fight. He is doing everything in his  power to run from it. In days gone by, like I said on youtube, promoters would never bend to a fighter, even though there was some injustice in that, as  Chris Eubanks brought out. However, today, you have a major promoter, and 2 television networks that have contracts ready to sign, and are willingly and publicly bending to the will of an arrogant fighter so that a fight can happen-publicly. They structured the contract to his taste publicly. And somehow, we are supposed to believe that after bending over backwards and jumping through hoops, they are trying to bully Floyd out a fight that would bring home huge money for everyone. Think about it. When did you hear about negotiations falling through- When Floyd declared that. That was just about the time that a usually honorable Miguel Cotto suddenly pulls out of signing the Canelo fight. Put 2 and 2 together. If anyone lacks transparency it's Floyd. At this point anyone defending him is severely sick mentally.

  You need to realize when you are being duped. If and when the fight doesn't happen, remember that this was an intricate dance done by Mayweather to avoid the fight. He paid Cotto off behind closed doors to drop the Canelo fight and sign to fight him. Then he brings up Bob Arum's name as the road-block in negotiations, when he was ready to sign for the fight with Bob present, just a few weeks ago. These are the things people aren't catching. Did he have a nightmare about Bob that made him say nevermind? Come on! Mayweather is full of crap, and has lost my respect. I used to believe he was the best, and now I see that he is genuinely afraid of Pacquiao for some reason. Deathly afraid. I think that largely, it's psychological. He is afraid of his equal. He refuses to fight and face someone eye to eye on all levels, not just physical. It intimidates him to have a team his size approaching him at the bargaining table and on even terms. Canelo had to step down to fight him, and every other fighter has to step down before Mayweather will fight them. He needs that mental edge. He knows good and well that Pacquiao is signed to Arum. Yet, he wants him to throw Bob to the side, and come crawling to him and his paid off judges, so they can have a nice, fixed and lop-sided affair. He's a coward. The thought of not having the judges in his pocket for this one scares him, and he knows he may lose. And the last thing that he wants is for his opponent to walk into the ring with the knowledge of that, and the ability to make it happen. He deserves to retire undefeated, and unremembered.

Jones vs Johnson set/ Alvarado Finished

They'd ask how I predicted both events this week. They'd wonder if there really is seriousness to the science of combat that I'm always talking about. Well, now they should know the truth.


 I don't talk crap just to talk. I also don't guess, and hope that I'm right most of the time. That's the stupid thinking of my detractors. There is a reason that I can play out a fight mentally usually at or before the weigh-ins. This weekend was no exception.  I watched very little training footage for the Rios vs Alvarado fight, and for the Gustaffson vs. Johnson fight. So I watched lead ups, recent fights, and payed attention to the weigh-ins. But there's a funny twist here. If you read some of my thread posts on youtube, you'd ask, "But Jason, we saw you predict these fights way before the weigh-ins. How'd you do that if you didn't see much training footage?" The answer is touched on somewhat in previous blog posts. For the Rios vs Alvarado fight, it was more of a psychological analysis that I made. If you watched the first two fights they had, you know that Rios has an advantage in a brawl, and Alvarado usually has an advantage with strategic boxing. However, I watched Brandon in the gym around the time this fight was announced. I made a comment about Brandon that I probably wouldn't have many years ago. I said that Brandon has a hidden ability to box and win rounds that people aren't aware of. I was one of the people who ragged on him a bit long ago. I always felt he was a great fighter, but felt he refused to box too much, and it angered me because he has the height, reach, and ability. However, I felt that in this fight, Brandon's ability to box would show in some way, and it did. I watched a short video of Alvarado warming up and talking to media. He seemed loose, but very underconditioned, and confident in being able to rely on boxing Rios. I knew that was a false security. Even though Brandon, in this fight, knocked Alvarado out in the 3rd round in this fight, boxing did play a part. He punched in combinations, with power from many angles, and used excellent footwork to cut off countering opportunities for Alvarado, which I'm sure Alvarado didn't see coming. I heard about him protesting afterward, but I knew long before, that he wasn't ready for this fight, and Rios had a very passionate and inspired look in his eyes. You know that he's usually a clown, but for this fight, even Robert Garcia- his coach, looked at him in awe during his interviews and at the weigh-in, because of the unusual composure and articulate responses. He was on his game.


  In the Gustaffson vs. Johnson fight, I saw even less video. But I did see some gym footage of Johnson as well as previous fights for both fighters. I felt that the last KO's of Anthony Johnson didn't really show all that he has in store. The media and public didn't even think Johnson existed. He was even less than a pause before the Jones vs Gustaffson rematch. I laughed at that, and clearly stated on youtube, that people will regret that, and I picked Johnson to ragdoll Gustaffson badly. Well, once again, Jason's annoying stupidity shows itself to be something else yet again to the dismay of some. The people who flamed my comments on youtube have to sit back and wonder now. How did I pick that one? I must have just guess on it right? Nope. This particular fight goes back to my previous blog post where I discussed body types and how fighters utilize their strengths and weaknesses. In the Stiverne vs Wilder fight, I knew that with the body types considered, Stiverne had the edges he needed to topple Wilder, but it was any man's fight. We came to find after a Wilder UD victory, that Stiverne had rhabdomyolysis, which is essentially muscle cell death and release into the circulatory system, which can be fatal. He overtrained, and I watched footage of him killing it in the gym. At the pre-fight conference, I remember when he said that he and his team had been ready for a month already, waiting for Deontay to sign the fight contract. I was concerned at that, and it appears that was for a reason. I felt odd seeing him never hook off or let go of punched during the fight, and I knew something was wrong. But the advantages remain the same. In the Johnson vs. Gustaffson fight, Johnson had the same compact advantages and power advantages. Watching his development and his kicks and hand speed carry over into light heavy weight, I knew he would be a problem for Gus. He came in at the opening bell, and  crushed Alexander Gustaffson with a hard overhand right, just like he said he would. His aim was to make every punch hurt. The fight could have been stopped very early, but he rode Gus and devastated him with shots from back mount, much like Hendo did to Fedor. Not only did Gus not have an answer for the power, as his head and body were rocked back with every punch, but Johnsons speed was too much for him to get around and line up, which a tall fighter has to do to beat you. Deadly combination, and I knew he had it. And now Johnson has the focus that he needs to dominate further. I saw before the fight, a new champion, and I said specifically that the Johnson train is going to start, and he has all of the pieces to be a figure at the top of the division. This is before the weigh ins. I was confident in my predictions because I know when a fighter is ready, uninjured, and at an advantage. The reason I didn't yell out a prediction for the Wilder vs. Stiverne fight was because I couldn't. Wilder was more fired up than Stiverne, yet Stiverne had the experience and certain advantages. I just knew it could be explosive. I also had in the back of my mind the extra month of training that Stiverne had, and that impresses me most- the fact that I took that factor serious, and it ended up being serious.


  So, as you can see, the free fight sites are being shut down systematically. Regardless, I don't really care. I'm content if I can catch highlights, because I can see the fight, one way or another. Until next time.

Video Game Passion

I'm writing this review as someone who's passion recently was waning for video games for various reasons. Over recent history, I have watched games and gamers alike become more and more mindless and focused on power and aesthetics. The blog I wrote earlier about this generation of consoles shows how I feel about that. What I should have paid more attention to is the fact that I myself have stated about the pattern of whatever making sense being hated in this world. For the last year or so, I've watched an overwhelming hatred for the Vita spring up just like it did for the PSP Go, and I should have known that it's for the same reason.

 In steps Tearaway, a Sony game that utilizes all of the systems features. But it doesn't just utilize them. As one reviewer showed on youtube, it's a game that was made with love, and appreciates the gamer who purchased the game. You instantly get the impression that the company really wanted you to enjoy the purchase and the experience endlessly. In the game, you as the player, play the assistant to the hero in his quest to deliver a message to you. The world inside the game is beautiful and interactive- not forsaking the power of the console, and also very interactive. You have endless possibilities and the game integrates utilization of a camera in the game as well as your system's camera outside of the game. You are given countless things to collect and share from the game. They say the game can be clocked at somewhere over 5 hours, but I believe that is from speed-running, which is stupid to do period, let alone with this game. Music is also integrated into this game, for a very rich experience similar to other PSP titles like Patapon.

 What really inspired this review is one particular feature. The game allows you to unlock character and scenery models as you experience them in the game and download them to your profile. From there, they encourage you to then log onto the Tearaway site, and download the packs which contain prints to reconstruct the given model, and bring the game world to life in your world. That wasn't just a very cute and adorable gesture, but also an honorable one amidst a world fraught with greed and heartlessness. The first thing that came to mind was Xbox Live. I've been a member of Xbox Live going back to the late Xbox Original days. For years, I wondered what the point of gamerpoints was. I even did rants and blogs on that in the past due to frustration. For those who don't know already, as you purchase and play Xbox games on your system, and unlock achievements, you build up not only trophies, but a collective Gamer score that is posted on your profile. As the years went by, and Xbox 360 came out, you had things such as Avatars, and an online video game arcade, as well as video, music, and paraphernalia stores. I really liked this stuff, and watched as they had sales throughout the years, but never did they allow gamerpoints to be utilized for any of these purchases. You know how your phone makes you pay for lives in games like Candycrush? That's the greed of this generation. Nothing is ever free, even when it ought to be. They even tried to cash in on Avatars you use online. An avatar is nothing more than a character model that represents you online. Yet, you have to whip out your credit card to purchase items for it to wear. Very rarely will a game you purchase allow you to download a dumb item to your Avatar.

 Then, even as Xbox Live started to wind down on the 360, games would go on sale in the arcade, but never would Gamerpoints be allowed to be used just to purchase old games from years gone by. That's the beauty of this game. In this dying generation, here is a game that gives back to the consumer with something meaningful. It's a nice arts and crafts project to have you engaged for hours at a time, that ends in a fulfilling model from a game you're playing, and none of this costs you anything. The developers don't gouge you and try to charge you on their site. It's free fun. That's a dying thing in this world. I remember back when I was doing my residency of sorts during music studies, and I would travel through the city, jamming at different clubs and enjoying the raw music and appreciation of fellow artists. Little did I know then, that that was the tail end of an era that I joyfully read about in Miles' biography and saw on jazz documentaries. Those were beautiful days, that have been replaced by watered down venues, that are attended by artless and idiotic drunks, where you are charged stiffly at the door. That made me lose my love for the whole thing. This game just reignited a piece of that.


This is a little video clip from my Youtube channel taken during the experience. I have to edit it, because of various reasons. The video was taken from the Vita itself. Already, this system is becoming a gem to me with all of its hidden and indie content. I'm looking forward to downloading some of the interesting looking indie games that are for free on PSN. Amazing. Of course, it's when Sony leaves behind snake-like behavior, that they are collectively hated by the public. Is it really any wonder?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Skq8CRZj0&feature=youtu.be

Heavyweight Bout Stiverne vs Wilder

Boxing has been called for years, the sweet science. Even going back to the 1800's during the bare-knuckle days, it started, in it's modern form as an English, sophisticated and high science. Although, unfortunately, the large scope of it has become barbaric in nature during history, I've always appreciated the physics and technique behind its execution. I bear the tattoo of the pugilist on my arm with both reservation and passion. Since birth, I've had a passion for the science of combat that I've never truly escaped. The talents are unavoidable that make me understand it.

 With that, I say that I understand enough to see past the showy display and telling, ignorant odds, of this weekend's matchup between Deontay Wilder and Bermane Stiverne. I've heard much talk going in each direction leading up to this fight, but the consensus, as I've come to expect, is stupidity. Of course, Wilder is a large odds favorite to beat Stiverne, and even though Stiverne is the champion, he receives heckles from the crowd that supports and arrogant, violent, and rude Wilder. I liked Wilder up until this fight. He has pulled a Jon Jones with his behavior, and aims to be the intimidator and instigator. But that's where I segue into my analysis of technique.

 History tells that tall rangy, lanky fighters have always been brash and antagonistic. Ali was, Jon Jones is, Jack Johnson was, and many others have been. And a large part of that is of course due to the feeling of standing over their opponent, and possessing size. But with fighters, it gets much more sophisticated than that. You see, the odds placed on the fight are due to the public's ignorance to a degree. When they see Wilder, they look at his behavior, power, and size. He's 6' 7" and long, having 84 inches of reach like Jon Jones. Fighters built like that don't just act aggressive or intimidating for no reason though. It is part of technique. The only problem is that you have to know how to use your body, and from what I've seen of Wilder, he's young and unaware to a degree. Using Ali as the example for long fighter, let's look at him as a boxer, and forget about his personality. Everyone is unique, but long fighters who have body control will always have these things in common. A long fighter's power is spread out. Having long limbs means that the arc on punches is wider than average, the window on punch recoil is longer, the delay to the point of maximum punch impact is extended, and power dissipation per square inch is unavoidably proportionately reduced. Meaning, no matter how strong Wilder is, he will never have the scale of torque that someone like Bermane can. I use an illustration of 2 water hoses. One is set on stream, and the other on spray. If you set them to push an object away, no matter how you equalize the overall force, the spray will never have the pounds per square inch that the stream does, because it's spread over a larger difference. That's the price that you pay for size. Also, something I didn't really know as a younger athlete was the price that tall fighters pay when it comes to speed and durability. I used to think looking at a guy like Jon Jones and Wilder who is thin, that they must be fast and light on their feet. But the truth is that for being tall, your body has to obey the laws of physics and suffer in the area of speed, as well as take more wear and tear over time. That's why basketball Centers who are in amazing shape, have a hard time keeping their lower extremities healthy during their careers. It's as unavoidable as being heavier for being taller. A 6 foot 6 person is never going to be able to be 120 pounds. As I've grown as an athlete, I learned to appreciate my physique. At 6 feet, I'm not at the threshold where I'm limited in any way. I could be any weight, and fight in any weight class with the given diet.

  For these reasons, however, you never saw Ali, with all of his power, KO someone the way Mike Tyson did. Why? It isn't because of styles alone. It's because of the simple law of physics that prevents someone with a long body from rushing their opponents, fighting inside, and pressuring at close range. If they were to do so, they would be inviting damage. No matter how aggressive a boxer or fighter is, they have to respect those laws and dominate in a way that suites their physique. Deontay doesn't seem to get that yet. Watching him fight, he loves to come forward and let off heavy hooks and straights, with no respect for range. In his mind, he wants to fight like Tyson, but he will learn that he can't soon. The only reason that he has succeeded thus far is because he is fighting cowards. He intimidates his opponents, and they ball up and retreat, automatically giving him the range he needs to maximize his punches. They are essentially helping him. They don't even know that they could simply stay put and reduce his output success by 50%. The intimidation factor is used by rangy fighters because it gives a slight cushion and window both physically and psychologically to allow them to fight at their range. Ali didn't just do that for show. A long, outside fighter, wants you on the outside. Big talk and intimidation help to provide just enough hesitation and distance to keep an in-fighter from opening up.

  The average person sees a tall person and gets afraid for whoever they're fighting, totally unaware of these universal laws. It's nice to see Jon Jones and other rangy fighters like Carlos Condit and Anderson Silva execute those spinning kicks, but the truth is that they have the same weakness. It's most apparent with Jon Jones in MMA. He's the tallest athlete in the UFC, with the longest reach, and it shows in more ways than the public sees. As I just mentioned, his striking is affected positively and negatively. He is very intelligent though, and he understands that. That is the reason why he has embraced Muay Thai to strengthen his clinch game. A fighter like him could never exchange with normal hooks and uppercuts on the inside like his fight with Cormier showed. He has to utilize elbows and knees inside, and smother his opponent the way that every tall fighter does. Klitchko does it as well. People think he is just being dirty, but if you watch, you'll notice that Ali did it as well as Larry Holmes. Tall fighters are not physically equipped to tighten up and walk into the center of their opponent like Tyson. Jon Jones also showed the other side of those laws when it came to outside fighting. You'll notice that Cormier was outboxing him until he was fatigued and started to be countered and held. Many people were shocked at this. Once again, you look at a tall person, and  traditionally expect them to eat up an opponent on the outside. Not if the person is compact and has body control and speed. The truth is that with Jones' height and reach calculated, he has the equivalent outside striking speed of someone heavier. It's unavoidable, and doesn't mean that he is slow. It just means that there is no such thing as paying no price. Balance is always important. It showed in that fight. Neither of them were perfectly balanced. Cormier is overweight and not developed enough in his upper body, nor is he flexible. Jon trains perfectly and has the exact proper mindset. What would actually make him more deadly is if he had a slightly more balance physique. If he was 1 inch shorter with a couple of inches less of reach, believe me that he would be just about unbeatable. People don't know that yet, but they continue to be shocked when they see those laws come into play.

 When Wilder fights Stiverne, he may try to pressure and run down the middle like his name is Tyson. With all of his power and intimidation, Stiverne is the better boxer, and has the potential for more power. It's a fight that either man can win. What I was pointing out is the true advantages that the layman won't see. Let's tune in folks. It should be a good one. Later.

Current Gen Systems.

I just purchased a PS Vita after about 2 years of debating and researching the device. I must say, when I look at the current state of both home and handheld consoles, I believe due to the increasing ignorance of the public, the video game industry is just about dead in all reality. They just announced that the Wii U will be bringing digital games to the market that may eventually include Gamecube games. Some people are wondering why this wasn't done before. The answer is obvious- its the consumer's fault. It's only just now that the public is beginning to embrace digital media in the game world. Why that took so long is beyond me. I wrote an article a couple of years ago talking about how today's society is almost solely reliant on digital media, from phones to tablets to computers. Yet, for some reason gamers have a hard time embracing that ideology when it comes to video game media. Mostly, it's due to the childish addiction to hoarding boxes of games and looking at them. They claim they doubt their ownership of downloaded games, which makes no sense. When you download your games digitally, you can store them on your own external hard drive at home, and have it saved indefinitely. You are not contracted to the game.

And you know what's funny? People will resist whenever you do the right thing these days. The PS Vita had a rough start, but started to get behind their support of 3rd party and indie games, as well as embrace the digital market like they should have at first. In days gone by, that approach would be met with consumer support and system purchases. However, in today's backwards and stupid world, people are outraged that Triple A titles aren't the main focus of Sony for the Vita. They want their Call of Duty and Battlefields. But you know what makes it even dumber? The Triple A titles being on both the consoles and the handhelds are the same exact reason why many consumers don't want to bother purchasing the Vita. They feel that they're better off playing on their consoles. In fact, some consumers have even said that it bothers them for their handheld to be of such high quality. You can't make this stuff up. People are amazingly stupid today, and the entertainment market is suffering due to that. I looked at the Vita market on PSN the other day, and I like what I see. They have taken the approach that many tablets and phones have with the digital Android marketplace. There are even some free, full indie titles. I checked the games to make sure I wasn't seeing things, and sure enough, you can download full games, even larger than 100mb which was the previous PS Mini limit. These are now completely unbridled indie developers, allowed to make ground-breaking titles for the Vita utilizing its technology to the fullest. That is a very good thing. I specifically said that the Vita needs to start having exclusives if it is going to survive. Forget about carrying over Triple A titles that exist already, and forget about sharing your titles with other markets. You need to have something of your own. We have Gravity Rush which looks to be a good series of games if it carries on.

 The game industry suck. I could go on and on about how the reason the Wii U is so ambiguous. I'm a neutral consumer when it comes to the Wii U. I don't know a lot about it. I was a Nintendo fan for many years. When the Wii U came out, which I feel was way too quick, I didn't know what the system was. For a while, I thought the gamepad was the system. Then I found out that it's an accessory. Looking at such a huge and sophisticated gamepad, I felt it should be a stand alone device. However, it is reliant on the system itself. The system has games, but doesn't even bundle the gamepad with the console. In the end, it's a fancy, and pricey controller. I appreciate the games Nintendo is releasing though. To be honest, it's sad that they are going down somewhat, because they are the last system to focus on video games. Every board you look at online is filled with power hungry idiots who point out pixel differentiation and texture nuances as if they are the size of mountains. They want power that they don't need. They shun the PS Vita because they can make out differences between it and the home consoles of this generation. Does that make any sense, when it's the same dual analog system that you people cried for for years, to the point of calling for the death of the PSP? It's sheer idiocy! I truly believe that the Vita will be the last console purchase I make. I'll enjoy the titles it has and what is slated for this year. It doesn't look like the support will hold out beyond 2016. If and when they release another follow up to this generation of handhelds, I won't be in the party. I'm sick of this do-over phase we are in. We kill a console because we feel we have something better on our hands. Then we release it and complain about it more than the former console. Rinse and repeat. I'm done. Until next time guys.

Underrated Album: "The Seventh Seal" by Rahkim

I'm going to do a few of these reviews on my page for games, music, and other art both past and present that I feel should have gotten more credit.

I'm covering the "Seventh Seal," album by Rahkim. I'm doing this also because I feel very passionate about music like that, and I hate to see it undermined. I know Rah doesn't need me to support him or build him up, but he deserves it as a cornerstone of hip-hop and modern art. His lyricism is timeless, and when you listen to his early stuff, or this album, you can see why Nas looks up to him. But hip hop culture as a whole, as well as society today doesn't see it that way. He is another overlooked artist who doesn't fit the mold of idiocy that people accept, and is thus considered trash.

I'm going to cite an excerpt from a review for the album, which recieved about 3 stars by the way:

The album sold 12,000 copies in the United States by November 22, 2009, according to SoundScan.^[13] Upon its release, The Seventh Seal received generally mixed or average reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 59/100 from.

 That's from wikipedia. If you look up the critic reviews, you'll see that the album received an average score of about 4/10. This is for an album that was delayed and poured over for several years. Rahkim took this project very serious, and even parted with Dr. Dre to maintain its integrity, and all of that is lost on an empty minded public. I'm honored to have this album on my mp3 player. If you actually listen to the lyrics, you will not only be blown away by the depth and delivery, but you will instantly know that you have something on your hands that will keep giving for years to come. I personally  built my career on that thinking. Everything that I made as an artist and put out, I wanted to be timeless and to build up the listener far into the future. Artists like him inspired that. Critics have the nerve to sum Rahkim in words like these:  Rakim's subject matter often covered his own rapping skills and lyrical superiority over other rappers.^[44][45] Allmusic editor Steve Huey comments that "the majority of his lyrics concern his own skills and his Islamic faith."^[7]

 It disgusts me that his depth has gone completely over the heads of these so- called listeners. I'll leave you with this quote and you tell me if even when he does rhyme about himself, which he does not always do, is it a problem:

"Things run up in it mass where I been, nothing get em high as a bag of Rakim
I'm red like Canadian, cuss with a Opium touch a fat piece of hash, seen soap with some dust
I got it so good, I got the whole hood smoking it, coke cookers kill for the flow to cook coke in it
The new form of crack, turn fans to fanatics hip hop hands to attacks fiends hit off that
DJ's cut it, let the streets step on that, still a hundred percent pure King Heron's back"

Post UFC 182

Well. It was quite a show last night. The main event sucked how I feared it would. Jon Jones vs. Daniel "DC" Cormier. A tall and rangy spiritual fighter versus a lovable, hard working and modest chubby kid from Louisiana who makes you root for him due to his failures. Joe Rogan and company did as best they could to talk up the even nature of the fight, but not only was it a clear beating, but it was clearly a withheld finish.

 Jon Jones showed me tonight, that fighters do receive orders in boxing, MMA, and even tennis matches, to make rivalry matches intriguing. Dana White even pulled him over to the side afterwards and whispered something to him. The bottom line is that Jon had several opportunities to finish DC and chose not to. I knew from the start that unless something big happened, he would do exactly what he did with Rashad Evans- let his opponent live to keep their money making potential intact. With Rashad you could say it was friendship that motivated it, but not with DC. DC was someone Jon clearly wanted to destroy on fight night, and then I watched him clearly avoid several finishes.

 I like Jon Jones, and have always respected and admired him as a fellow pure practitioner, but his antics before the fight made you cheer a bit for DC. But regardless, people let their emotions control their vision. I knew from the start that DC had a lot to overcome tactically, and physically to win this fight. He finished the first round and started the 2nd round doing exactly what he needed to win as I said- he applied pressure, and attacked off of transitions and the clinch. In the middle of the fight, when he was pouring it on, Jon poked him in the eye inadvertently, or so it seems. I immediately yelled at the screen for DC to hurry up, and get back, and forget about the eye, because I knew that was a costly break in his strategy. That gave a winded Jon time to catch his breath, and reset. Then he controlled DC against the cage for the rest of the fight, getting about 4 takedowns near the end of the 4th round. DC's physique came into play as well as I imagined it would. He is quick with his hands and a sharp boxer, so he was able to outbox Jon very well from mid-range. It was in the clinch that his heavy lower body was too slow to spring out of Jon's quick take downs. There was a point in the 4th or 5th round when Jon took DC down and had his head against the cage. He had every opportunity in the world to rain short elbows on a guy who has no Jiu jitsu, and finish the fight. He wrestled with him and allowed him to eventually stand. They finished the fight trading punches and hitting Herb Dean- the referee. I laughed, and thought that maybe this was a hype job after all. DC talked so much that he convinced every non-fighter that he had a strong chance. Only people like myself and other martial artists knew that it was an overhyped fight. I like DC and wanted him to be okay, and at least he is. He just talked too much, and now he has to face the music tomorrow.

  On the co-main event, it was a match between Donald Cerrone and Myles Jury. That fight was an eye-opener for me having watched "Cowboy" Cerrone in the past. I was a fan of his years ago, and then when he had a couple of setbacks, I figured he had fallen off. I totally missed the fact that he is on a 6 fight win-streak. He slipped right past like Anthony Johnson. In this fight, he looked impressive on the feet, in the clinch, in top position, and off of his back. It was a mega dominant performance that reminded me of the problem that Cowboy is. He may get a title shot soon.

  It's going to be very funny hearing all of the talk at work. My coworkers will no doubt try to play kindergarten games and say that I picked DC when they all did. In the end, this was one of those fights that reminds you who knows fighting and who doesn't. Everybody talks a big game, but few know what they're talking about. The only reason I looked forward to this match was because of tension. I knew beyond any doubt that it was not an even fight. I'm just agitated that Jon acquiesced to letting the fight go the distance. Most likely he was told that he had better not jeopardize the money they could make from a rematch. You can't doubt that. If they fight again in March, now the fight could very well sell. Or at least, DC can be used for big fights of his own, as a draw still, even for main events. That would have been put in danger if he was KO'ed tonight. Jon had a guillotine choke a couple of times and chose not to go for that either. After the fight he went on a rant about how he hates DC, and I just shook my head. If that is the case, which I'm sure it is, there is no reason other than that you were given orders, for someone with your stamina and skill set to have DC in those positions in the 4th and 5th round and deliberately not finish.

 A lot of you thought DC is a killer. I knew his power wouldn't be enough for Jon's chin. Go back an read my post. I also said that there is a reason DC was such a dominant yet, underachieving wrestler. He lost to Cael 6 times, and to Olympians and other collegiate wrestlers because he only knows 1 way to win. He dominates his opponent, applies pressure, takes down his opponent in only 1 or 2 ways if he can, and grinds. That's all DC can do. As a MMA fighter, of course he's added a few wrinkles, but it's still the same formula, and that is tailor made to be undone by a martial artist who adapts while fighting. I called the entire thing verbatim. The only reason the end was different is because Jon made it so by choice. All DC can do is shoot for a shotgun- or leg pick, and try to sweep and switch to a double, or go for hip tosses. If you watch his matches with Cael Sanderson, as I have, you can see that those limitation cost him when he faces a true artist. Cael was master artist - a wrestling version of a Martial Artist. He constantly gave different looks and turned DC making him look like a child. It isn't because Cael was undefeated that DC lost. He lost for the same reason he lost tonight. He has not learned enough. And he may never learn. At 35, he is just a grinder. He is fortunate that Jon had to have mercy on him and was able to leave with his chin and pride intact. Jon could have effectively ended his  career, and for the better of DC overall, I feel that it should have happened. Let's see how it all plays out now that the biggest MMA fight of the year is over. Maybe a matchup between Jon and Gus next which everyone wants.

 After that fight, I now look to Mayweather and Pacquiao to deliver for anticipated hype of a super-fight, because Jones vs DC was surely a bust.

Predictions for UFC 182

 Not to glorify anything in particular, but as a historian and long time practitioner and artist myself, I can't help but to marvel at Saturday's matchup between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. Yes, you truly have 2 polar opposites stepping into the octagon. You have a former Olympic wrestler, and blue-collar fighter in Daniel Cormier or DC, and a very spiritual and constantly evolving, and expressive martial artist in Jon Jones. In conventional competition, I side with the latter, but this fight could have a few wrinkles.

 The other day, while driving home, I ran the fight through in my mind, as to what would happen. I've been involved with combat arts from the age of 9. I usually keep that to myself, because it's wasted on conversations with coworker and idiots alike who are obsessed with disrespecting me. Anyway, over the years, being exposed to boxing, wrestling, kung fu, tae kwon do, muay thai, jiu jitsu, ninjustsu, etc, and countless fight film, I've had no choice but to develop intuition. And you don't have to be a former or current fighter or practitioner.Even f you've watched fight prep and film for years and years, you can look at the lead up to a fight and the weigh ins, and have a good idea of how the fight will play out. It's freaky sometimes.


  I was pulling for DC a bit due to his lovable personality, but I have to explain why I favor the artist over the blue-collar fighter. To be clear, DC is a perfectionist just like Jon is, He lost just before a medal match in the 2004 olympics, and was sidelined by kidney failure in the 2008 olympics. He never won a NCAA Championship, which made me look deeper in itself. In college, he lost all 6 matches with Cael Sanderson. I know that Cael is the greatest wrestler of all time, but DC lost other matches as well. I watched him dominate in wrestling matches as well as fighters in MMA, and I kept thinking wondering what could be holding back such a dominant wrestler and fighter from victory in big matches. Now, I realize that it's his work ethic. I know that sounds crazy, because DC works so hard, but it's not about how hard he works. It's about how you work. He is the opposite of Jon Jones. He does what he needs to do to win, and works to a rigid gameplan, grinding. He doesn't believe in thinking outside of the box. He wins his matches on dominance and enforcing his will while avoiding adversity. He also has a team behind him- AKA- American Kickboxing Academy, that is very limited in their understanding of fighters like Jon. If I was in a fight camp, I knew it would be Jon Jones' camp - Greg Jackson's Gym, long before I even know Jon as a fighter. Greg Jackson has been known for years for developing artistic fighters with his philosophies. He made GSP, and he had Rashad Evans when Evan was his most dangerous. It's the perfect place for Jon.

  Jon Jones is an artist. When he trains, he trains to be amazing in all areas, and surprise his opponent and himself. Watching his training, he leaves no stone unturned. He works on all areas, and doesn't run from his weaknesses, but strives to make them his strengths. That's what GSP and every other Greg Jackson fighter does. It's because of that, and his belief, not his reach and size, that he is likely to dominate and stop DC on Saturday. DC works hard, but has a few limitations. He also has a team behind him that thinks that Jon Jones is all elbows and knees at long range, and has no chin. They are way off in their analysis. I knew Jones had a chin since his fight with Rampage. DC is a worker bee as a fighter. He works hard, and tries to avoid trouble in a fight. Jon Jones works on trouble in fights, and how to dominate from a bad turn in a fight. Those philosophical differences are going to be a problem for DC. I watch their workouts and one of them stood out to me. I watched both of them working the heavy rope. Jon looked like he embraced it and DC looked like a fat kid just getting through the workout. What a martial artist understands is that there is a benefit in all exercises. Jon knows that as well as I do. He isn't a powerhouse guy by any means, but he knows that it serves him well to be able to become that when needed. Remember in Karate Kid when Mister Miyagi made Daniel clean the car? We all chuckle at that, but it is a base principle of all martial arts. technique lies in everything; even a handshake. The heavy rope helps you block and keep your hands up and in position, utilizing the key muscles in your deltoids. It isn't a useless workout. Yet, alot of people, including fighters, view it as such, even if subconsciously, and show it in their workouts. Even when working the mitts, I saw it carry over, as DC has hands that tend to drop. He struggles keeping his hands up.

  I see the fight playing out like this: DC comes in confident and looks to establish some kind of respectable jab. At first, Jon keeps his distance, respecting DC's power a bit too much. Then Jon starts to pepper DC's guard with jabs and straights. All of the DC fans start to show shock as some punches get through. There, you start to see his weak deltoids showing up. Then, he tries to catch Jon over the top with looping shots, catching only arms. Jon continues to hammer at his guard with shots. DC's chin is solid, so he won't wilt under these initial punches. We saw his chin in the Big Country fight. Soon, when he sees that Jon is better conditioned on the feet, he'll try to double and triple up his combos- even going for leg kicks. When his success is minimal, he will know that it's time to shoot for a single. Jon will likely spin out of the first attempt. Staying upright will cause Jon to lessen his strikes just enough for DC to try to time one of them and shoot in for another takedown. He'll eventually get it, probably on the second attempt. Being dominant in holding top position, DC will try to lay on Jon. Unfortunately, Jon will be able to cut him up from the bottom position. He may even go for subs that DC is not ready for. When the danger becomes apparent, DC will lighten up just enough for Jones to stand again. Soon, DC will try to get into a clinch to wear Jon down. His strong positions will be attacking while Jon tries to block transitions or transition himself. Other than that, Jon is superior. And I think when he sees the body shots and uppercuts in Jon's clinch game, he's going to resent his camp's reconnaissance. If he isn't careful, Jon can sweep him from mount, and end the fight very nastily. However, I give DC a slight chance if he can keep Jon off balance from beginning to end.  Honestly though, I see Jon Jones by vicious TKO, probably in the 3rd round. I know, it's a "Say it ain't so," outcome, but if you do honest observance you can see that too. I wish sometimes that I could train these guys when I see their camps leading them wrong. All AKA does is glorify the great wrestler that DC is and work on that. That is not how you develop a fighter.

 As far as Vitor Belfort goes, I see more potential for him to upset than I do in DC. They are fighting equally difficult champions, but Vitor is preparing better. He is preparing like Jon Jones. I like all of what I'm seeing in his training camp. The only thing I question is the ability of these brazilian camps to handle wrestlers. Notoriously, they are weak against wrestlers. Also, his fight is in late January. I wonder why he is training as hard as Jon Jones now. That is not good. If he peaks too early or blows himself out, that would suck. He is coming off of TRT, and vulnerable to injury. He better be careful.