MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat - Chapter 651

Chapter 651: Chapter 651: Back to the Grind
And soon the news broke: Damon was back in training camp.

The headlines spread fast, on Chirper, in MMA circles, and even in mainstream sports media. Damon Cross was training again.

It was no secret he’d been gone for a while.

Everyone knew he’d been busy on some project, though no one outside his tight circle knew exactly what.

A few grainy photos had surfaced, Damon on a set somewhere, Damon in costume, but nothing concrete. The mystery only added to the buzz.

But now he was back in camp, and the rumors flew fast and wild. Fans wondered if a fight had already been signed.

Maybe Damon had his sights set on another top contender at light heavyweight, or maybe it was a defense of his middleweight crown. Whatever it was, everyone was talking.

The only thing they knew for sure was this: Damon Cross was back. And he was coming for another fight.

Damon had an eye on a certain fighter—Yiri Prokasska. He’d watched the tapes, studied the movements, and he knew Yiri was the key.

The key to proving himself, and the key to that title shot. Damon respected the weight class, the fighters who’d carved their names into it.

The only reason he’d agreed to fight a non-title bout first was because he didn’t want to skip the line outright.

But that didn’t mean he was willing to spend years climbing the ranks again. Damon had been through that grind already.

He wasn’t about to start over. That was why he wanted Yiri. Yiri was the test that would prove he was ready.

And once he got past him, he didn’t care who he had to jump over. The belt would be his next.

Damon’s mind was clear on that. The rest of the division could wait. He’d deal with them after he was champ.

After he’d proven he was the best. Then, he’d rack up the defenses. Then, he’d make history.

It sounded simple when he said it, but Damon knew how much work it would take.

He’d already relayed his desire to Victor, who would handle the details and get the negotiations rolling.

Everything seemed to be lining up.

Some fans were already chomping at the bit, eager to see who Damon would face next.

There were even a few who wondered if the aura was cracking, if he was starting to look human after that war with Jon Dlachovizc.

But Damon didn’t care. He’d fought in light heavyweight once already, and he knew the difference now. He’d felt it in his bones.

He also knew that during those four months on set, he hadn’t trained as hard as he normally did.

It was different, working out when he could, staying in shape but not fighting shape.

But he’d gotten used to moving around bigger bodies and moving in one. He’d gotten used to the idea that everyone in this weight class could hurt him if he wasn’t sharp.

That was why he wouldn’t make the same mistakes he did in his last fight. Damon was back in the gym, back on the grind, and he knew exactly what he had to do.

And soon an announcement came, not from the UFA, but from the movie world. The project Damon had been working on for four months was finally unveiled.

The cover image exploded across social media, Damon Cross, sweat-soaked and battle-ready, holding a gun at his side, his eyes locked forward with that cold intensity that made him a champion.

On the other side stood Shack Morris, every inch the stoic veteran, his own gun raised in quiet readiness, his expression calm and lethal.

The moment that cover dropped, people went insane. Chirper lit up with posts.

Fans and fight pundits were stunned to see Damon in this new light, a world away from the cage, but still carrying that same dangerous edge.

@ActionMovieAddict: Holy shit, Damon Cross as an action star? Take my money NOW!

@MMA_Journalist: Damon Cross might be a future double champ, but he’s also about to be a movie star. This is wild.

@PopCulturePulse: Damon Cross and Shack Morris sharing the screen? Two living legends. Who saw this coming?

The buzz was electric. Damon Cross had already proven he could handle the best in the cage.

Now he was about to show the world he could handle anything else they threw his way.

@RetroActionFan: If Shack Morris wanted to, he’d roundhouse kick Damon Cross back to middleweight. #LegendsOnly

@FighterFunnies: Damon Cross doesn’t need a script. He just stares at the page and the words fall in line. Shack Morris taught him that.

@ChirperThrowback: When Damon Cross does a push-up, the Earth moves. When Shack Morris does a push-up, the Earth stays down out of respect.

@MMA_MemeLord: Shack Morris can knock you out with a glance. Damon Cross can knock you out with a Ghost Punch. Can they combine that power?? #CrossoverOfLegends

@ActionFlicksDaily: Damon Cross learned his footwork from years of fighting. Shack Morris learned his footwork from roundhouse-kicking hurricanes.

@BJJ_Banter: Damon Cross has cardio for days. Shack Morris has cardio for decades.

@FightGeek77: Damon Cross’s jab is fast, but Shack Morris’s stare is faster. This movie is about to break the internet.

@CombatLegends: In the movie, Damon Cross uses a gun. In real life, he doesn’t need one, he’s got the best hands in the game. Shack Morris just brings his fists and the fear of God.

The fans were having fun with it, taking two legends, one from the cage, one from the movies, and turning them into larger-than-life figures even before the film dropped.

And soon enough, Damon’s phone buzzed with a call from Victor.

Damon was in the middle of a workout, sweat dripping from his face, but he grabbed the phone without hesitation.

He knew what this meant, Victor never called unless it was important.

He answered, breathing hard. “Yeah?”

Victor’s voice crackled through the line, steady and calm. “We got news, Damon.”

Damon wiped his forehead with his forearm, his heart thumping with a different kind of excitement. “I’m listening.”