MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

Four more months passed.

By now, Damon and Svetlana had adjusted to their new roles as parents, and they were good at it.

They moved with instinct now, knowing how to calm Ava when she cried, how to read the signs before she needed something. It didn't mean they weren't exhausted at times, but they had found rhythm.

Ava was growing strong and healthy. She had already started holding her head up better and reacting to voices.

She would reach for faces, flash toothless grins when she recognized someone, and occasionally babble when excited.

It wasn't talking, but it was somethin, little sounds that made Damon stop whatever he was doing and look over.

He couldn't believe how fast she was growing.

Svetlana had recovered well and was more energetic now. She was still careful, still taking it slow with heavy movement, but she felt like herself again.

The two of them made time for each other when they could. Short walks, quiet moments while Ava slept, late-night talks when the house was silent. It helped.

But while the apartment was warm and calm, the world outside was getting louder.

Because Damon was still the middleweight champion of the UFA.

And he hadn't fought in nearly half a year.

The murmurs started small, but now they were harder to ignore. Headlines. Posts. Clips from shows. Everyone wanted to know, when was Damon Cross coming back?

@UFA_FanCentral

Congrats to Damon Cross on fatherhood. But we need the champ BACK. The division is on hold. #CrossEra

@BloodyCanvasMMA

It's been 4 months since Damon Cross won the belt. No announcement. No defense. No noise. This what "Cross Era" means?

@FightTalkPhil

I love Damon but let's be real, champ took the belt and ghosted. Whole division frozen. Chemasov defended faster after winning.

@HighKickHannah

If you think Damon's ducking, you haven't watched his fights. The guy's a killer. Let the man raise his daughter ffs.

@JitzJunkie101

Damon Cross beat a monster, went 22-0, won the tourney, had a baby, and y'all still hating. Just say you want clout.

@SmeshFactory

Damon won the belt and dipped like a GTA mission. #runningchamp

@MiddleweightMess

No fights. No callouts. No nothing. Cross Era is starting to feel like a marketing gimmick.

@UndergroundMMA

Fighters climbing. Chemasov wants revenge. PDD wants his shot. Everyone active. Damon? Radio silence. Be honest, y'all wouldn't let another champ get away with this.

@SugaFreeFighter

Give Damon time. Let him come back on his own terms. I'd rather a focused killer than a half-ready champ. #RespectFatherhood

@RawCombatTV

Cross is still the champ, no doubt. But eventually… you gotta defend. Let's get the next fight booked. #UFAReturn #CrossEra

Damon wasn't blind to what was happening. He saw the talk online.

His name brought up more and more. Posts. Podcasts. Pundits questioning if he was becoming too comfortable. If the hunger was still there.

And he wanted back in.

He had already spoken to Svetlana. Multiple times. It wasn't about getting permission, she had never tried to stop him from doing what he loved, it was about making sure she was okay.

That he wasn't pushing too hard, too fast, just to satisfy noise from people who didn't know them.

Svetlana understood, he could tell. She didn't make it dramatic, nor did she fight it.

She simply reminded him of what mattered, get through camp clean, come back healthy, and come home.

He wasn't disappearing. He would be at home every night, maybe a little more drained, but present. The difference now was that he had more than himself to fight for.

And if he ever needed energy, he had his secret weapons, his elixirs, the system, the tools that had carried him through grueling stretches before.

Recovery wasn't an issue and focus wasn't an issue.

The only thing missing was the cage.

He missed the feel of it. The edge. The noise. The heat of another fighter trying to take something from him.

And more than anything, he wanted to defend his title, not just hold it for a long time and have small defenses, he wanted to destroy contenders and gain recognition as a great champion.

Prove again and again that he wasn't just a name on a list of champions. He was the one they couldn't touch.

He'd taken his break.

Now, it was time to remind the world who he was.

So when fans went to sleep that night, and those on the other side of the world woke up...

They were greeted by a simple post from Damon Cross's official account.

@DamonCross:

So… who's next?

Within minutes, it started trending. Comments flooded in from every corner of the sport, fans, fighters, media pages, analysts. Everyone had an opinion, everyone had a name.

Some called for a rematch against old opponents. Others pushed for fresh contenders.

A few were bold enough to tag light heavyweights, while others still argued he didn't need to fight at all, that his run was already historic.

But one thing was clear.

The king had returned to the table, and now the wolves were circling.

His fans were excited.

The announcement of his return sparked a wave of hype across social media. His name shot up on every trending list.

But not everyone was cheering.

Some had grown impatient and began seeding doubt. Some said he took the belt and ran. Others called him a family man now, not a fighter. They didn't believe in his hunger anymore.

But that was the sport.

Not everyone had to cheer.

---

@KnuckleTalkTV:

HE'S BACK

Damon Cross is set to return after months away. Champion's schedule or cherry-picking timing? Either way… the division just woke up.

@TrueCrossEra:

My champ took time to raise a whole baby and STILL hasn't been touched in a fight. 22-0. Keep crying. #CrossEra

@SlimDonMMA:

Bro sat out half the year and is still king. Now he's back to remind y'all why he's HIM.

@DagestanBrawler:

If he was from my region, he would've defended TWICE by now. Champion? More like media-made hype.

@Ashley_XO_MMA:

So glad to see Damon returning. Let him enjoy parenthood. Y'all act like he owes you blood every weekend.

@MMAGuru97:

I'm just saying… belts need defending. He's dope, yeah. But no defenses and being debated for p4p?That's wild.

@P4PDebateCentral:

Now we see if he's truly #1. No more breaks. Let's see who's next.

@anonymousaccount:

Damon is HIM, He's been HIM, and he'll continue to be HIM.