MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat-Chapter 856 - 857: One Down, One to Go

"And the winner... UFA’s Middleweight Champion of the World and Light Heavyweight Champion of the World... Daaaaamon Cross!"

The referee raised Damon’s hand in the center of the cage while the crowd cheered again. Damon smiled wider than usual. The fight ended exactly how he wanted. He finished it early and walked away without taking damage.

That was the real goal.

He raised his arms for the crowd and climbed the cage again for a moment. Fans stood up, many of them shouting his name while others held their phones in the air to record the moment.

Damon enjoyed it. Wins like this didn’t happen every day, and the energy in the arena made it even better.

At the same time, he knew the performance made Shenil look worse than he really was. The man had come in undefeated and confident, but the fight ended so fast that it looked one-sided. Damon understood how that worked. When a fight ends quickly, people forget the skill and only remember the result.

Still, that didn’t change anything for him.

He climbed down from the cage and walked to his team. Victor checked his face and gloves quickly while Joey laughed and slapped his shoulder.

"Not even a scratch," Joey said.

Damon nodded. "That was the plan."

He looked back at the cage for a second before heading toward the tunnel.

The next fight was already on his mind.

Enton Malikin.

Damon respected him far more than the opponent he had just faced. Enton had held the same belts before, and he had done it against tougher competition. Even though Damon had beaten him once in the World Cup, that didn’t make things easier.

Fighting someone again was always different.

Enton had time to study that loss. He would adjust his strategy and come in with a different plan. Damon knew he had to do the same.

One fight was finished.

The next one would be harder.

"But getting back to the fight," Victor said as he leaned against the wall. "How did you find the challenge of your opponent? I know you finished it quickly, but—"

"Was easy," Damon answered calmly. "He still has a long way to go. That’s hard to say because he isn’t getting any younger either. I think a more experienced fighter would have been more dangerous."

He shrugged slightly.

"He has potential though. Hopefully this loss doesn’t derail his career."

There was no arrogance in his tone. He was simply stating how he saw it.

Victor nodded and crossed his arms.

"Well, that’s the situation you’re in now," he said. "You’re young, but you’ve already fought so much that it’s hard to find opponents who match you."

Damon listened quietly.

"Fighters your age are still developing," Victor continued. "They don’t have the experience yet. But the older fighters who do have that experience are already slowing down. They understand the game, but physically they can’t keep up with you."

Damon nodded and smiled slightly.

Victor had just described his situation perfectly.

"Well, let’s hope Enton provides a proper challenge," Damon said. He stretched his legs out in front of him before leaning back slightly. "I do want to ask something."

"Sure, ask," Victor replied.

Damon looked at him. "I haven’t really kept track of the heavyweight division. How does it look? Anyone there you think could pose a threat to me?"

Even though Damon loved fighting, it had become harder to follow every division. Training, travel, and family time took most of his attention. The heavyweight division also didn’t get as much focus from fans compared to the middle weights or light heavyweights.

Victor thought for a moment before answering.

"Well... I know a few names," he said. "But the division has its problems. A lot of the lower ranked guys are just not that athletic. Some of them rely on size alone."

He shrugged.

"That said, it’s starting to change. A few newer fighters are coming in with better conditioning and movement. If you ever moved up, it would actually be the right time. The division needs someone who can shake things up."

Damon listened without interrupting.

"As for someone who could threaten you," Victor continued, rubbing his chin. "The champion is solid, and a few guys in the top five have good skills. But honestly... I still think you would handle them."

Victor paused.

"It might take you a round or two to figure them out, but once you do, I don’t see many of them keeping up with you."

Damon nodded slowly.

He had been curious about that division for a while. The biggest question wasn’t skill. It was how his body would feel with the extra weight.

At middleweight he had a clear reach advantage against many opponents. At light heavyweight his size felt perfect. Some fighters were taller, but he could manage it.

Heavyweight would be different.

The fighters there were much larger. Many of them had longer reach and far more natural weight behind their punches. His speed might drop once he added the extra mass, and he would have to deal with the size difference in every fight.

Still, the thought interested him.

It would be a new challenge.

Damon leaned back slightly on the bench as the thought crossed his mind. Just like when he moved up to light heavyweight, he had no intention of jumping straight to the champion if he ever decided to enter the heavyweight division.

He knew he could do it if he wanted. Being a double champion and undefeated gave him that privilege. No one in the organization would question it.

But that wasn’t how he liked to approach things.

He preferred to test the waters first. Take a fight or two, see how his body handled the weight, and understand the pace of the division. The heavyweight champion was usually the most experienced fighter there, and going straight to the top without feeling things out first didn’t interest him.

A small smile appeared on Damon’s face as he thought about it.

"Me and the girls are going to enjoy some of this place before leaving," he said as he stood up. "You joining?"

Victor thought about it for a moment. "Sure, why not."

Damon nodded and started walking toward the showers.

Victor turned toward the hallway. "I’ll go handle some business first. If it doesn’t take long, you’ll find me with the rest."

Damon gave a short nod and stepped into the locker room showers. Warm water ran over his shoulders as he relaxed for the first time since the fight.

He stood there quietly for a moment before muttering to himself.

"Triple champion, huh?"