The fight pressed on, with Edward continuing to demonstrate sharp footwork and solid takedown defense.
Each ti Luis tried to close the distance, Edward circled out or landed a clean jab to keep him at bay. It wasn't just good, it was impressive.
Edward was very disciplined, and his plan was working out just the way Damon had hoped.
He kept his cool, kept his distance, and didn't commit too much to any strikes that could leave him open.
Damon stood outside the cage, arms crossed, carefully observing. "Keep it up, Eddie," he muttered under his breath.
He knew that if Edward maintained this level of performance, the fight was his to win.
Whether it ca from a well-tid counter or grinding Luis down over the course of three rounds, Edward was dictating the pace.
But...
Luis wasn't out of options yet. Fighters like him, grapplers who thrived on control and ground dominance, weren't easy to break.
And when their plans started falling apart, desperation often fueled them.
Damon could see it. Luis was starting to hesitate, his movents less fluid, his takedown attempts less confident.
"Desperation's coming," Damon said softly to Victor, who nodded silently beside him. They both knew what that ant.
Luis would either go for broke or make a critical mistake.
The question was, could Edward capitalize when that mont ca?
It was a ga of patience now, a test to see who would crack first.
And just as Damon thought, Edward held his ground, executing his ga plan with precision.
He kept hitting Luis in the leg with low kicks, and each one made the grappler less stable.
He even did the one-of-a-kind move he had shown Damon in training: the spinning back kick to the thigh instead of the body.
People in the crowd were amazed when the kick hit Luis straight on the leg, making him stumble backwards.
Edward seized the opportunity, pressing forward with calculated aggression.
Then ca the overhead punch.
It went through smoothly and sent Luis flying into the canvas.
Damom smiled bigger as he watched the killing go off without a hitch.
But his grin quickly shifted to a focused stare.
Luis wasn't out yet.
Damon's sharp eyes caught a mont that was subtle but telling. Luis looked around the cage, and his moves were slow and thodical.
Anyone truly rocked wouldn't have the clarity to assess their surroundings like that.
"Damn it," Damon muttered under his breath, his instincts flaring as he saw Edward winding up to follow Luis to the ground, eager to finish the fight.
"Don't follow him down!" He yelled, and his voice was loud enough to be heard.
Victor, noticing the sa thing, shouted just a beat later, "Edward, stay on your feet!"
But their warnings ca too late. Edward was already committed, his body descending, his fist aid squarely at Luis's face.
Luis, in a flash of desperation and awareness, shifted his head just enough to avoid the devastating blow.
Edward's punch missed its mark entirely, the full force of it colliding with the canvas with a loud thud.
Explore more stories at empire
Damon winced, his hands gripping the edge of the cage. "Damn it, Eddie..." he muttered.
Luis wasted no ti as Edward's overcommitted punch left him sprawled on the canvas.
With the precision of a seasoned grappler, Luis quickly locked his legs around Edward's waist, trapping him in guard.
Luis used Edward's montum against him, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him close, eliminating any space for Edward to posture up or throw effective strikes.
Damon clenched his fists on the outside of the cage, his quick eyes analyzing the situation.
He couldn't help but admire the strategy at play here.
Whether Luis had truly been rocked by the overhead punch or not, he'd baited Edward into playing his ga.
It was a brilliant move from a fighter who knew he was outclassed on the feet.
If Edward had kept his distance, Luis wouldn't have stood a chance.
Inside the cage, Luis shifted his hips, angling for better control.
Edward tried to wriggle free, throwing a few short punches, but they lacked power in such a close position.
Luis tightened his grip, keeping Edward's chest pressed against him and controlling his movents.
Damon could see where this was headed, and he didn't like it.
"Posture up, Eddie!" Damon shouted, his voice cutting through the muted atmosphere of the small venue. "Get your hands on his hips and create space!"
Edward heard the advice and tried to adjust, but Luis was already a step ahead.
The grappler shifted again, swiveling his hips and throwing his legs up high, angling for an armbar.
"Watch your arm!" Damon yelled. "Stack him! Stack him now!"
Edward reacted just in ti, leaning his weight forward and stacking Luis onto his shoulders, preventing him from locking the armbar fully.
It was a small victory, but Luis wasn't done.
He used the failed submission attempt to transition to a triangle choke, his legs shooting up and wrapping around Edward's neck.
"Damn it," Damon muttered under his breath, gripping the cage. "Eddie, posture up! Hands on his knee, pull it down! Don't let him cinch it!"
Victor joined in, his voice booming. "Turn your body, Eddie! Don't let him cut the angle!"
Edward struggled, his face reddening as Luis tightened the choke.
He planted one knee on the canvas and used the other foot to push off, rotating his body slightly to relieve so of the pressure.
Following Damon's advice, he grabbed at Luis's knee, pulling it down to create a sliver of space.
Luis adjusted, his grip tightening again, but Edward used the mont to drive forward, stacking Luis once more.
The pressure on his neck lessened, and with a burst of effort, Edward slipped his head free.
Edward scrambled to his feet, backing away from Luis and resetting the fight to the feet.
Damon exhaled sharply, his grip on the cage relaxing slightly. "Good work, Eddie. Now stay standing."
Luis got to his feet as well, his face a mix of frustration and determination.
Edward's strikes had been picking him apart earlier, and his legs were clearly compromised from the damage he'd taken.
But Luis was relentless, and Damon knew he'd dive for another opportunity to take the fight to the ground.
"Don't get baited again," Damon muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Edward nodded slightly as if he could hear the unspoken warning, his stance tightening as the fight resud.
Reviews
All reviews (0)