MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat - Chapter 598

Chapter 598: Chapter 598: The World Watches
“FIVE ROUNDS FOR THE UNDISPUTED MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!”

The announcer’s voice thundered through the packed arena, bouncing off the walls with power.

The lights circled above, spotlighting the two corners as fans from every nation rose to their feet.

“Introducing the challenger. Fighting out of the blue corner!” The camera panned to Joren Edlen.

He stood tall, shoulders squared, chest rising slow. His skin gleamed with sweat and focus under the lights.

“A mixed martial artist holding a perfect professional record: 15 wins, no losses.

He stands six feet tall, weighing in at 185 pounds.

Fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida, USA—

Presenting the Dellator Middleweight World Champion—

Joren ‘The Human Pressure Cooker’ Eblen!”

The crowd gave a respectful pop, with chants of “USA” mixing with applause.

Joren paced once, then stood still, focused, and locked in.

“And now introducing the champion … fighting out of the red corner!

A mixed martial artist holding an undefeated professional record of 25 wins, no losses.

He stands six feet two inches tall, weighing in at 185 pounds.

Fighting out of Limerick, Ireland—

HE IS THE REIGNING, DEFENDING, UNDISPUTED UFA MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION AND THE ONE TIME TOURNAMENT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD —

DAMON ‘THE RONIN ‘ CROSS!”

The stadium exploded.

Fans in green and orange erupted in chants. Flags waved like a storm. The “CROSS! CROSS! CROSS!” chant shook the floor beneath the commentary table.

Damon didn’t raise his hands. He just nodded once and rolled his neck out.

The referee stepped to the center.

“Fighters—middle.”

They both walked forward. The buzz in the building changed. Louder, but focused now.

Meanwhile, the commentary team locked in.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s finally here. Champion versus champion. The undefeated UFA Middleweight Champion, Damon Cross, facing off against the undefeated Dellator Middleweight Champion, Joren Edlen. You couldn’t ask for a bigger main event.”

“This is a legacy-defining fight for both men,” one of the analysts added. “Cross has taken out everyone they’ve put in front of him, striking, grappling—it doesn’t matter.

He’s one of the most well-rounded fighters we’ve ever seen. If he wins here, it’s another name on a flawless résumé.”

“And it’s not like Joren’s any less of a monster,” the third voice chimed in. “You don’t walk through the Dellator middleweight division without getting your soul tested. Edlen’s been a pressure cooker since day one. That chain wrestling, that top control—he breaks people.”

One of them chuckled. “And somehow, Damon’s still the favorite. That’s how good he is. When the other guy’s undefeated, holding a belt, and still comes in as the underdog?”

“That tells you everything,” another replied.

The camera panned over the arena as the two fighters stood tall.

The ref looked between them, his voice clear over the arena noise.

“Alright, gentlemen. We’ve gone over the rules. Protect yourselves at all times, obey my commands at all times. If you want to touch gloves, do it now.”

Damon extended his glove.

Joren tapped it without looking down.

They stepped back.

“Let’s fight!”

The bell rang, round one.

And the whole world leaned forward.

Damon took his stance, light on his feet, shoulders relaxed but ready. He had considered it earlier, whether to activate the King of the Cage eye.

The ability was powerful. Being able to see everything in the cage was no joke.

But tonight, he chose to fight without it. If he didn’t need it, he wouldn’t use it. Not unless the match demanded everything, which he doubted it would go that far.

He stepped forward, bouncing gently, reading Joren’s stance. The American champion mirrored him with calm precision, showing no fear, no rush.

They met in the center.

Both lifted their hands, palms high, fingers curled slightly, land touched gloves.

It was the last moment of formality.

Damon took a step back, slipping into rhythm. Distance opened. The fight began.

The first round began with both fighters meeting at the center of the cage, gloves already touched.

Damon settled into his stance, feet light, lead shoulder faintly rolled forward, giving nothing away.

Joren Edlen mirrored him across the cage—low stance, ready to explode.

Damon stayed just outside kicking range at first, testing the distance.

Joren stepped forward with his usual bounce-step rhythm, probing with a feint. Damon didn’t bite.

He shifted back, read the hip line, and launched a sharp inside calf kick that slapped Joren’s lead leg.

The Dellator champ didn’t flinch, but he registered it.

The commentary echoed over the roar of the crowd.

“That’s one of the best reads early, Damon’s looking for patterns, not points.”

Joren tried to jab his way in, but Damon slipped left, then snapped a body kick into Joren’s ribs. It thudded clean.

Joren absorbed it and tried to level change off the return, but Damon had seen the shoulder dip.

He stuffed the fake and pivoted out, reestablishing distance before Joren could reset.

Damon feinted again. This time, he stepped deep and threw a rear straight—Joren parried it, but the Irishman wasn’t done.

He followed it with a short elbow and exited with a low kick. Clean contact again.

Joren tried to close the gap more decisively, shooting low off a jab. Damon framed hard with his forearm, stopped the shot cold, and circled out. His movement was smoother, the angles tighter.

“That’s what we’re talking about!” one commentator yelled. “He read the level change perfectly Joren didn’t even get in on the hips!”

Back in the center, Damon switched stances briefly, gave a few teases of southpaw shots, then snapped back to orthodox and launched a quick combination, jab, hook to the body, leg kick.

Joren absorbed them but couldn’t answer cleanly. His timing was still adjusting.

Half the round gone.

Joren attempted to crowd the space, pushing behind a double jab and ducking in low.

This time he got deeper, hands brushing Damon’s hips, but Damon dug in his underhooks and turned him sharply, dragging him into a short collar tie and landing two brutal elbows before breaking clean.

The clinch exit rattled Joren more than anything else had. He stepped back, composed but aware.

“He’s not used to being beat in the clinch like that,” another commentator said. “Usually he’s the one dragging guys down and holding them.”

Joren changed his entry approach, started throwing more kicks, sharp ones to the body.

One grazed Damon’s ribs, another was checked. Damon responded with a low kick and a stiff jab that landed flush on the chin. The rhythm was breaking.

Damon walked him down now, subtle pressure, not overextending, just cutting off the cage with each step.

He feinted again, and Joren dipped, expecting a kick, but Damon came up with a snapping uppercut that glanced off Joren’s guard.

Joren tried to clinch again. Damon let it happen, this time intentionally.

They fought for inside control, and as Joren tried to secure the underhook, Damon switched to a short trip, Joren stumbled, caught himself, but ate a body shot on the break.

The round neared its end. Damon stayed poised, working behind his jab, forcing Joren to miss and pay.

When Joren tried one more level change, Damon punished him with another well-timed knee that stopped the entry cold.

The bell rang.

The commentators reacted instantly.

“Masterclass! That was a cerebral round from Damon Cross. Perfect spacing, perfect timing, and he made Joren work every inch of that cage.”

“He’s keeping him honest on every shot. You can’t just shoot blind against a guy like Damon.”

Both corners stepped in, voices focused, calm, but the momentum was already shifting.

Damon sat on the stool, breathing through his nose, listening as Victor leaned in, already praising the first round execution.