MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat-Chapter 839: The Decision Made

"Are you sure you want that?"

Victor's voice was calm but carried weight. Damon stood in front of him and Joey, arms crossed, his tone earlier leaving no doubt about his choice. He wanted the fight with Blake.

Victor exhaled slowly, trying to read him. "Damon, you know you can get a much better fight. Fighting someone who isn't even the best in his field while you're at the top of yours, it's not exactly beneficial."

Joey nodded. "He's right about that part. Blake isn't the top guy in boxing, but he's the biggest name outside it. He brings the crowd like he is. People tune in to see if he'll finally lose or pull another upset. It's more of a spectacle than a real title fight."

Damon nodded, appreciating the point. "Yeah, I get that. But that's also why it works. He's loud, he sells fights, and he's not bad. For my first boxing match, it's a good entry. If I can handle him, I'll see how I hold up in this world."

Victor rubbed his jaw, pacing once before looking back at Damon. He couldn't deny the logic. Picking an elite boxer would be riskier, but picking someone like Blake carried a different kind of risk. Losing to him would do more damage than any knockout in the cage.

Still, even with that thought, Victor couldn't picture Damon losing. He'd seen him dominate every style, every opponent. But boxing was a different beast, and the thought of him adapting wrong or getting clipped under new rules didn't sit easy.

Joey leaned back against the counter, glancing between them. "The build-up alone would be huge. MMA fans versus boxing fans. It's gonna break the internet."

Damon looked between them both, his tone steady. "Then let's make it happen. But on my terms. He needs this fight more than I do. We'll make him chase it. If Blake really wants it, he'll pay for it."

Victor nodded finally. "Alright. We play hard to get. You've got the leverage, the name, and the belts. If he wants the biggest payday of his life, he'll have to make it worth your time."

Damon gave a short nod, his decision already made. "Good. Then let's make him earn it."

Victor stared at him for a moment longer, then smirked faintly. "You really don't back down from anything, huh?"

Damon shrugged. "Not when someone runs their mouth this much."

The room went quiet after that, everyone already thinking ahead. The headlines, the negotiations, the backlash, it was all coming. But the decision was made.

Damon Cross was going to box Blake Logan.

And so they got to work while Damon went back to training. His days were split between boxing drills, conditioning, and sparring sessions with Tyron's team. Joey handled the public side, keeping Damon's name active without saying too much.

He began posting short clips, Damon working the pads, sparring light rounds, studying film with the team.

Nothing official, but enough to stir conversation. Each post carried subtle hints, small teases about possible opponents.

One in particular featured Damon working the bag with the caption "Preparing for anyone."

They knew what they were doing. Joey even leaned into the idea of another opponent, a well-known content creator who had long-standing beef with Blake.

They weren't actually planning to fight the guy, but the move was intentional. It gave Blake the sense that someone else might take his spot, that Damon's boxing debut could go to someone he despised.

And it worked.

Within a day, Blake reacted online, ranting on his channel about "fake callouts" and how Damon was ducking him for easier fights. The comments exploded again, fans tagging both sides nonstop.

Meanwhile, behind closed doors, the real work was happening.

Victor handled the negotiations personally, flying out with his own team to meet Blake's camp. The atmosphere was tense but professional. Both sides knew this fight would make massive money, but each wanted the upper hand.

Blake's team tried to frame the deal as their event, arguing that Damon was crossing into their sport.

Victor didn't flinch. He reminded them that Damon was the biggest name in combat sports right now, undefeated, double champion, the pound-for-pound king. If Blake wanted this fight, he'd have to pay for it.

From there, the back-and-forth began. Numbers shifted, conditions changed, and egos clashed. Both teams were trying to lowball the other while still making the fight happen. It was business, loud, deliberate, and filled with strategy.

By the end of the meeting, Victor left the room knowing one thing: the deal would happen. It was just a matter of who blinked first.

It was natural that these kinds of deals took time. With names this big and egos even bigger, every clause, split, and headline mattered.

The fight wasn't official yet, but fans weren't stupid. Blake's constant online jabs and Damon's silence told them everything. Add in the fact that Damon was training with Tyron, the same legend Blake had once beaten, and the conclusion was obvious. The fight was happening.

Media outlets ran wild with it, calling it the crossover event of the decade. Analysts debated the rules, the payday, and who had more to lose. Even mainstream news stations picked it up. Every day, someone was guessing the date or claiming to have "insider information."

But behind the noise, Damon sat in his living room with Victor and Joey, the real conversation unfolding quietly.

"So how are the negotiations?" Damon asked.

Victor leaned back, a small smile forming. "Going great. Everything should be finalized by Monday. And it's big money, around twenty-five million guaranteed for you just to show up, plus another twenty if you win. The UFA's backing the deal too, so nothing's stopping the fight."

Damon raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by the figure. That was a lot, even for him.

Joey almost choked on his water, coughing as he looked between the two. "You're both just gonna sit there like that's normal money?"

Victor smirked. "When you're Damon Cross, it is."

Joey shook his head, muttering something under his breath before switching topics. "Anyway, the media side's good. People already know it's happening, even without an announcement. The hype's crazy. We've got the fans exactly where we want them."

Victor nodded. "Good. But enough about business." He turned back to Damon. "How's the training going? I talked with Tyron's team. They say you're picking things up fast. How do you feel?"

Damon leaned back, his tone calm. "I feel great. You know, just sharpening those elbow strikes."

Victor gave him a deadpan look. Joey snorted, trying not to laugh.

Damon smirked. "Relax, I'm kidding. Training's going good. The team's solid. I just need to clean up some habits, focus on movement, and study Blake's fights more. I'll be ready when it's time."

Victor stood up, still shaking his head. "Elbows, my ass."

He grabbed his jacket. "Alright, I'll leave you two. I've got another meeting to attend, try not to slack too much."

Damon nodded, smiling faintly as Victor walked out the door. The apartment went quiet again, only the soft hum of the city outside filling the space.