MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

Damon stood outside the group and watched in silence as Collin kept fighting with the younger fighter in the cage.

People watching him could clearly hear his words over their soft murmurs.

Which for some people could be annoying.

The crowd shifted slightly, and Collin caught sight of Damon.

For a moment, he froze mid-step, his focus breaking.

His sharp eyes locked onto Damon, recognition dawning immediately.

"Well, feck me," Collin muttered, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. He waved a hand, gesturing toward Damon. "Now, there's a face I didn't expect to see today."

The people in the group turned around and looked at the two fights with interest.

Damon offered a slight nod, his expression calm but curious.

He wasn't here to make a scene, but he also wasn't about to shy away from the attention.

Collin leaned on the cage fence, his gloved hands hanging loosely over the top. "Damon Cross, in the flesh. I've heard yer name floating around, lad. Never thought I'd run into ye here, though."

Damon smirked, stepping closer to the cage. "Didn't think I'd run into you, either," he replied evenly.

Collin chuckled, the sound genuine. "Aye."

He glanced around at the small crowd. "What brings ye here, then? Surely not just to watch me spar."

"Signing up for the qualifiers," Damon said, his tone straightforward.

Collin's eyebrows shot up, and he let out a low whistle. "Ah, so that's how it is. You're here to claim the middleweight spot for Ireland."

He paused, his grin widening. "Not that I blame ye, but I hope ye know, there's plenty of lads here who'd love to take a swing at ye."

Damon shrugged, unfazed. "That's why I'm here, isn't it?"

The group murmured, sensing the subtle tension between the two fighters.

Collin nodded, pushing off the cage and removing his gloves.

Collin smirked, clearly enjoying Damon's agreement. "Good lad," he said, hopping back into the cage.

He gestured toward the young fighter he had been sparring with. "Take a break, kid. Watch and learn."

The two fighters stood across from each other, Collin bouncing lightly on his feet. "Alright, just a bit of movement, yeah? Don't want either of us limping outta here before the big fights," Collin said, grinning.

Damon nodded, settling into his stance. "Light spar. Got it."

As the small group of people got closer together and whispered less, the mood in the room changed.

Collin threw a few playful jabs to gauge Damon's reactions.

Damon moved fluidly, evading with minimal effort, his eyes never leaving Collin.

"Quick on yer feet, aren't ya?" Collin said, his tone both impressed and teasing.

Damon smirked but didn't respond, slipping inside Collin's range to tap him with a light jab.

The precision was enough to make Collin pause for a fraction of a second before he chuckled.

"Alright, I see how it is," Collin said, stepping up the pace slightly.

The exchange remained controlled but revealed the difference between the two.

Collin had sharp, practiced movements, but Damon's timing and precision were on another level.

Every time Collin tried to close the distance, Damon either countered or slipped away, maintaining control.

The crowd began murmuring again, and even Collin couldn't help but laugh after Damon smoothly ducked a hook and lightly tapped his ribs. "Christ, you're a feckin' ghost in there."

"Thought this was a light spar," Damon replied, his tone even but with a hint of playfulness.

Collin grinned, stepping back slightly to reset. "It is, lad. But ye're makin' me work for it."

Damon, sensing the friendly tone, allowed himself to ease up slightly, giving Collin more opportunities to push the pace.

Collin took the chance, landing a light leg kick followed by a quick jab.

The crowd reacted with cheers, and Collin raised his hands in mock celebration. "Look at that! Still got it!"

Damon chuckled, shaking his head. "For now," he muttered, stepping forward and fainting a jab that transitioned into a perfectly timed body shot.

The light spar ended with both men stepping back, grinning. Collin extended a glove toward Damon. "Fair play to ya, lad. You're the real deal, no doubt."

Damon bumped gloves with him, his expression calm but respectful. "Appreciate it."

With that, their business for the day was done.

Damon took one last look around the arena, letting the energy of the place sink in.

It wasn't the most polished venue, but it had its charm, a rawness that matched the spirit of the competition.

He'd be back soon, ready to hear about his opponent and officially begin his journey in the tournament.

Victor clapped him on the shoulder, breaking his thoughts. "Well, that's it for today. Let's head out." Find more to read at empire

Damon nodded, following Victor as they made their way toward the exit.

The soft hum of conversations and the occasional thud of gloves hitting pads faded into the background as they stepped outside.

Damon felt the pressure of what was going to happen, but he was ready for it.

He did great when things got tough, and this was just the beginning.

As Damon and Victor made their way out of the National Stadium.

Damon glanced back briefly, taking one last look at the place where he'd soon be fighting for his spot in the World MMA Tournament.

"It's a good setup," Damon said as they approached the car. "I'll be back tomorrow to hear about the matchup."

---

Meanwhile, back inside the stadium, a young fighter in the middleweight division, barely out of his teens, was scrolling through the video he'd secretly taken.

It was the sparring segment between Damon and Collin, a moment he thought was too cool not to share.

To him, this wasn't just any clip. It was a rare, unexpected crossover between two fighters he admired.

Excited, he uploaded the video to Chirper with a caption that read:

"Can't believe I got to witness this in person! Damon Cross and Collin NcGyver going at it in the octagon!🔥🔥 #MMA #IrelandStrong #DreamMatch"

Within minutes, the post began gaining traction.