MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

In a gym tucked away in Moscow's outskirts, the sounds of leather gloves cracking against pads echoed through the concrete walls.

Heavy bags swung. Trainers barked instructions in short, clipped Russian. Fighters moved with sharp rhythm, this was not a place for hobbyists.

This gym had grown a reputation. Not just as a place for building fighters, but for producing killers.

Among them was Ivan.

Tall. Broad. Young, but not raw. He was polished, especially on the ground. A student of judo since he was old enough to walk, his grappling was lethal.

But he knew the game was evolving.

And he didn't want to just survive in it.

He wanted to dominate.

He drilled takedowns first, again and again. Fast entries, explosive finishes. Then sprawls. Then get-ups. Wrestling transitions from the cage.

But when that was done, he didn't leave the mat.

He changed gloves. Reset.

Then moved to striking.

Hooks. Slips. Head movement. Kick placement.

He was a grinder, but not stubborn. He understood that the new wave of fighters, guys like Damon Cross, weren't just good at one thing. They were complete. Fluid.

Ivan respected that.

But he didn't fear it.

He had goals of his own.

And his climb had just begun.

He knew Damon Cross.

Not just from highlight reels or headlines, he had trained beside him.

During The Supreme Fighter show, they had shared the same hallways, walked to weigh-ins together, warmed up in the same gyms. Ivan had seen Damon up close. The discipline. The focus. The way he spoke little, but said everything in the cage.

And if he was honest with himself…

He was in awe of how far Damon had gone.

From a hungry contender to a world champion.

Undefeated. Dangerous. Respected.

Ivan hadn't forgotten.

He remembered the way Damon carried himself when the cameras weren't rolling. He remembered the look in his eyes before each fight, cold, controlled, calculated.

That version of Damon never left Ivan's mind.

And now, years later, as Ivan climbed the ranks and carved out his own name, he wanted nothing more than to stand across from Damon in the cage.

Not out of hate.

Not for clout.

But because testing yourself against the best is the only way to know what you truly are.

And Damon Cross was the standard.

As Ivan finished a hard set of pad rounds, sweat dripping down his arms, one of his teammates approached, holding up a phone.

"Ivan," the guy said, slightly out of breath, "you're gonna want to see this."

Ivan took the phone, brow furrowed, wiping a bit of sweat from his temple with the back of his wrist. The UFA page was open.

Big, bold text across the screen:

"Damon Cross vs. Ismael Desayen – Official. Desayen's Final Fight."

Ivan stared at it for a second, eyes scanning every line like it might change if he read it again.

It was real. The date, the venue, everything.

A retirement bout.

He blinked, a little stunned. He'd heard the rumors, that Damon was taking a break, that he might be stepping away for a while, especially after the tournament. It made sense. Damon had earned it.

But now?

The man couldn't stay away.

Ivan lowered the phone slowly, jaw tight.

Desayen was no easy opponent. A former king of the middleweight division. Tactical. Fluid. Still dangerous.

But this wasn't just another fight.

This was legacy.

And Ivan felt that heat again, the kind that burned quietly in your gut. Not jealousy. Not resentment.

Just hunger.

Because Damon was still in the game.

And Ivan still had time to catch him.

But Ivan wasn't the only one caught off guard.

The entire MMA community lit up within minutes of the announcement.

Social media exploded.

Podcasts scrambled to record emergency episodes.

Analysts, fighters, and fans alike flooded the timeline with reactions.

Damon Cross vs. Ismael Desayen.

One of the biggest fights that could be made in the middleweight division, now labeled a retirement bout for Desayen, and Damon coming off what many assumed was a break.

No press hints. No slow build-up. Just a bombshell post from the UFA, and it sent shockwaves.

Some were thrilled.

Some were confused.

All were stunned.

Nobody expected Damon to return this fast, especially after everything, especially after winning the World Tournament.

He was walking straight into a fight against one of the greatest middleweights of the past decade.,

@FightFanKev

Damon Cross vs. Desayen??? Bro I thought he was taking time off?? This man is built DIFFERENT.

@theMMAjunkette

Desayen's retiring and he picks DAMON CROSS as his final fight? Man wants to go out on hard mode. Respect.

@JustBleed92

No tune-up. No warm-up. Damon just goes straight into war lmao. Guy is either fearless or insane. I'm here for it.

@southpawjakey

I swear Damon Cross doesn't know how to take a normal break. Dude just won a world tournament. Now he's fighting a legend.

@MMAhive

Desayen vs. Cross is a certified legacy fight. Win or lose, it's gonna be beautiful violence.

@grapplenerd

Desayen is one of my all-time favs but I don't like this matchup for him. Cross is a problem.

@kicksncuts

Cross really said "Nah, I'm not sitting out." Dude is addicted to fighting elite competition.

@ChokeAndRoll

Damon Cross fighting Desayen out of nowhere is WILD. Zero buildup and I'm hyped.

@D1_MMAboi

Y'all realize how insane this is? Cross just won the world tournament and immediately signs to fight a sniper like Desayen?

@undergroundstriker

This is gonna be a technical masterclass. Desayen's footwork and timing vs. Damon's pressure and IQ. Inject it straight into my veins.

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Chirper posts showing support and respect for Ismael Desayen, especially from longtime fans of his:

@SmoothCounter

Say what you want, but Desayen gave us years of beautiful, high-level striking. If this is really the last one, I'm grateful we get to see him go out on a big stage.

@OGMiddleweight

Desayen doesn't duck. Never has. Even in retirement, he chooses Damon Cross. Guy's a real one.

@MMAclassicZ

I don't care what happens, Desayen's legacy is untouched. He helped define modern middleweight striking. Respect forever.

@CleanStrikesOnly

People acting like Desayen's washed. He may not be in his prime, but he's still smarter than 90% of the division. Don't sleep.

@TheFeintKing

Desayen walking away on his terms, against the best guy in the game right now. That's how a warrior bows out.