MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

The reporter changed his position, but the microphone stayed put. "Today, you put on a good match, possibly even the match of the night. Do you think you'll get the bonus?"

Damon smiled and lightly touched the mic with his fingers. He looked over and saw the president of the UFA, Ronan Black, sitting further down the table with an amused expression on his face.

"Haha, thank you," Damon replied, his tone light and humble. "But I don't make that decision."

The crowd quietly laughed, enjoying how humble he was in his answer.

Ronan acknowledged Damon's comment with a slight nod, but that didn't reveal how he felt.

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The reporter pressed on, a small smile creeping onto his face. "Alright, but what do you think? If it were up to you, do you feel you earned it?"

Damon leaned back slightly, his eyes thoughtful. He shifted the mic closer, his voice calm but firm. "I came out here to give my best, to put on a show for the fans, and to finish strong. If that's worth a bonus, then I'd be grateful. But honestly, I'm just happy I performed the way I did tonight."

As the next reporter raised their hand to ask more questions, the room was filled with silent nods of agreement.

The reporter raised his hand again, his expression growing more serious. "I have another question for Damon Cross."

As the reporters moved around in their places, the tension rose in the room. Damon made a small change to the mic and nodded for him to go on.

"We saw Cellan Gustalam being taken out of the arena after the fight," the reporter began, leaning into the microphone. "There are reports circulating that he's suffered a concussion. How do you feel about that, knowing that your strike caused such a serious injury? And... does it affect how you approach fights, knowing the risks involved?"

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As Damon leaned closer to the mic, his smile faded a bit, and his face turned serious but calm. "First off," he began, his voice steady, "I hope Cellan's okay. This sport is dangerous, and injuries like that are always a possibility. But none of us step into that cage without knowing the risks."

He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "I didn't go in there trying to hurt him in that way. My job is to compete and finish fights, and that's what I did. I respect Cellan as a fighter, and I hope he recovers quickly and comes back stronger."

The reporter nodded, scribbling notes, but he wasn't done. "Follow-up to that, Damon," he pressed, "this was a short-notice fight for you. Do you think Cellan's missed weight and size advantage played a role in how you approached this fight? Did it make you more aggressive or cautious?"

Damon considered the question, his fingers tapping lightly on the table as he thought. "Honestly," he said, leaning forward, "it didn't change my game plan much. I studied Cellan, I knew his strengths and weaknesses, and I stuck to what I trained for. The weight difference was noticeable, sure, but I wasn't going to let that dictate the fight. I stayed focused on executing my strategy, and it worked out."

Another reporter raised their hand, but the first one quickly interjected. "One more question, if I may."

The room turned to him, and Damon gestured for him to continue. "With such a dominant win over a ranked opponent, do you think this puts you on a fast track for the rankings? Are you looking at anyone specific in the division next?"

Damon smiled faintly, his confidence clear but not overbearing. "I don't know about fast-tracking," he said, shrugging. "That's up to the UFA to decide. I'm just here to fight whoever they put in front of me and keep proving myself. As for a specific opponent..." he trailed off for a moment, then chuckled. "I'll fight anyone. Bring them on."

There was a buzz of support in the room as reporters and fans watched Damon stay calm and focused.

Ronan Black, who was sitting at the end of the table, gave Damon a small smile, as if he liked how he answered the questions.

The reporter nodded, satisfied. "Thank you, Damon." The room moved on to the next fighter, but Damon remained calm, his mind already moving forward.

As the meeting went on, the mood in the room changed with each question.

Damon leaned back in his chair and paid close attention as reporters asked the other fighters and Ronan Black questions.

It felt good to be included among them, part of something bigger now.

Ronan leaned into his mic, addressing a question about the card's performance. "I think the fights tonight were great. Some absolute bangers out there. You had a bit of everything, technical battles, all-out wars, and some incredible finishes. As for the co-main event..." He glanced briefly at Damon, a small smirk on his face. "It was exactly what we hoped for. Damon Cross stepped up on short notice, fought a ranked opponent who missed weight, and delivered. What more can you ask for?"

The reporters murmured, some scribbling notes, while others nodded in agreement. Another raised their hand and stood.

"Ronan, was there any concern about letting this fight go ahead, given the weight disparity?" the reporter asked.

Ronan shrugged, his expression calm but direct. "Of course, there's always concern when something like this happens. Cellan missing weight by that much wasn't ideal. But Damon's team agreed to the terms, and Damon himself was confident he could handle it. And as we saw tonight, he handled it just fine."

The room chuckled lightly, and Damon allowed himself a small smile.

"Next question," Ronan said, gesturing to another reporter.

"Ronan, do you see Damon as a future star in the UFA? What's next for him after a performance like this?"

Ronan leaned back in his chair, glancing at Damon again before responding. "Look, Damon's a young guy with a ton of potential. He's already proven he's willing to take on challenges most fighters wouldn't touch, and he delivered tonight. We'll see where he fits in the division after this, but yeah, I think he's got a bright future here. He's got the skills, the mindset, and the fans are already behind him. That's a good mix."

The reporters scrawled quickly to write down Ronan's words.

Damon was proud, but he kept a straight face because he didn't want to look too eager.

The conference The meeting then turned to other fighters and asked about everything from their fights to what they planned to do next.

Damon took it all in and watched how the more experienced fighters dealt with the attention.

He was learning more than just how to fight.

But how to act around the media.