MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat - Chapter 480

Chapter 480: Chapter 480: Young And Passionate
Damon and Svetlana had just returned to their hotel, finally getting a moment to breathe after the chaos of the night. But there wasn’t much time to relax, there was a lot to go through.

Damon was now a finalist. That meant photoshoots, press conferences, and a media tour that would rival a UFA championship event.

The tournament organizers weren’t wasting any time, they were treating the finals like the biggest fight in the world, and in a way, it was.

It made sense. Earlier in the tournament, there were 32 fighters per weight class. That meant 128 fights in the first round alone, way too many to set up full media obligations for.

The costs, the logistics, the sheer time it would take, it was unrealistic. So the tournament had kept media interactions minimal in the early stages.

But now?

Now there were only two fighters left in each division.

This was where the hype mattered. This was where the sport would sell itself.

Damon sighed as he tossed his jacket onto the couch, running a hand through his hair. Svetlana sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him knowingly.

“You’re about to be everywhere,” she said.

Damon exhaled, a smirk forming. “Yeah… I figured.”

Damon exhaled, stretching his arms behind his head as he leaned back against the hotel couch. “One more fight,” he murmured. “Then we go home.”

Before he could settle, Svetlana walked toward him with a purpose. She didn’t say a word, just wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug.

A very tight hug.

Damon blinked in surprise, then chuckled. “You trying to break my ribs?” He tapped her back lightly, but she didn’t ease up.

Svetlana was an MMA practitioner herself—she could have made it hurt if she wanted. But this wasn’t about hurting him. It was something else.

Damon let her hold him, then smirked. “Alright, what’s this for?”

Svetlana finally pulled back just enough to look at him, her expression sharp but laced with concern. “For the stunt you pulled,” she said flatly. “Look, I know I can’t control what you do, and I’m not trying to, but can you at least tell me? Just something. Anything. You could’ve gotten hurt, Damon.”

Damon sighed, his smirk fading just a little. “I didn’t even tell Victor,” he admitted.

Svetlana’s eyes hardened. “I’m not my dad, Damon. I’m your partner.”

Damon met her gaze, the weight of her words settling in. He let out a slow breath, nodding slightly. “Yeah… you are.”

She wasn’t just here to support him. She was here for him. And she deserved to know when he was about to throw himself into chaos.

She sighed, shaking her head. “Just, next time?”

Damon smirked, leaning in slightly. “Guess you’ll just have to stick around and find out.”

She rolled her eyes, but the twitch of a smile on her lips told him she wasn’t that mad. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet, here you are,” he teased.

She scoffed but didn’t pull away. “Damn right.”

Damon watched her for a moment, then reached out, pulling her close again. This time, there was no tension, just warmth. His hands rested on her waist, fingers brushing lightly against the fabric of her shirt.

“How about this,” he said, his voice lower, more deliberate. “After all this… after the tournament, the press, the noise—” He looked her in the eyes, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “We disappear. Just us. Take some time for ourselves. Travel the world. No cameras. No fights. No bullshit.”

Svetlana’s eyes widened slightly, and then they softened, lighting up with excitement.

They had never done that before. Sure, they had traveled together, but it was always for fights, business, or obligations. Never just for them. The idea of escaping from it all, no schedules, no media, no pressure, was more than appealing.

“We’ve never even taken a proper vacation,” she murmured, almost as if realizing it for the first time.

Damon chuckled. “Yeah, no shit.”

The truth was, they could. They were both in a position where nothing really stopped them, except their own responsibilities.

Then again, those responsibilities had a way of creeping up.

Svetlana tilted her head, giving him a knowing look. “Don’t you have a fight lined up after the tournament?”

Damon’s smirk widened, his grip tightening slightly as he leaned in. “I do…” he admitted. “But nothing is as important as spending time with you. So it can wait.”

Svetlana felt the warmth of his words sink in. He meant it.

She smiled, shaking her head. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious,” he said without hesitation. “Just say the word, and we’re gone.”

Her lips curled into a grin as she leaned in closer, their foreheads nearly touching. “I like the sound of that.”

Damon’s hands slid down her waist, pulling her flush against him. His voice dipped lower, smooth and full of suggestion.

“How about we put our energy into something else?” He smirked, his fingers tracing slow, deliberate patterns along her back. “I’ve got a lot of… unattended tension I need to release.”

He tilted his head slightly, eyes locked onto hers. “Don’t you?”

Svetlana exhaled, a slow smirk forming on her lips. She didn’t answer right away, but the way her hands ran over his chest, gripping his jacket just a little tighter, told him everything he needed to know.

Damon pulled her in, their lips meeting in a slow, heated kiss. It started soft, teasing, but quickly deepened as neither held back.

His hands roamed her body, tracing the curves he knew so well, while hers tangled into his hair, pulling him closer as if she couldn’t get enough.

They moved together, lost in each other, their bodies pressing against the bed as the kiss grew more intense.

The world outside didn’t matter. Not the tournament, not the media, not the expectations hanging over them.

Tonight, it was just them.

Passionate. Young. Wildly in love.

And as the night stretched on, they let themselves get lost in it.