Knock knock.
When Joey opened the door, he saw a familiar pair standing on the steps.
The sound of the door echoed through the hallway.
His face broke into a warm smile when he saw them. "Hey, guys. Co on in."
They stepped inside, exchanging casual greetings as Joey closed the door behind them.
"She's upstairs," Joey said, nodding toward the stairs as he addressed Svetlana. "She'll be happy to see you."
Svetlana smiled and thanked him before making her way up the stairs.
Damon chuckled lightly as she disappeared. "Sorry about that. She's been really into checking on Ashley and the baby."
Joey shook his head, grinning. "Nah, it's cool, man. Honestly, it's good Ashley's got company. She needs soone to take her mind off little Theo for a bit. She hasn't been getting much sleep."
Damon nodded, leaning against the wall. "I can imagine. Parenting is no joke."
Joey smirked, his expression half-amused, half-exhausted. "You're telling . I feel like I haven't had a full night's sleep in weeks. But hey, it's worth it, you know?"
Damon's smile softened. "Yeah, I bet it is."
For a mont, the two friends stood there in pleasant silence.
From upstairs, they could hear quiet talk.
Joey glanced at Damon, his grin widening. "So, what's the real reason you're here? Just visiting, or did Lana drag you along for another baby bonding session?"
Damon laughed. "Bit of both, to be honest."
Joey's grin turned sly as he leaned against the wall. "You know, with how much Lana's been visiting, I gotta wonder…" He trailed off, watching Damon's expression carefully.
Damon raised an eyebrow. "Wonder what?"
Joey shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "If maybe she's got a little case of baby fever."
Damon froze for a second, his brow furrowing. "Baby fever? What's that?"
Joey chuckled, crossing his arms. "Oh, you know, when soone gets all googly-eyed around babies and starts thinking they want one of their own. You're telling that hasn't crossed your mind?"
For a mont, Damon's face was blank. Then he cleared his throat and straightened up. "Uh, yeah, no. So… how's work been going for you?"
Joey burst out laughing, shaking his head. "Smooth dodge, man. Smooth dodge."
Damon smirked slightly, refusing to take the bait. "You're the one juggling a baby and work. Seems like a more interesting topic to ."
Joey snorted. "Fine, fine. But don't think I'm letting you off the hook that easy."
Joey raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with a grin. "Gotta say, your recent win was crazy. Do you even know what people are saying about you?"
Damon gave a small shrug. "Not really. You know I try not to focus on that too much."
Joey chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, let fill you in. People are saying, 'Ireland's produced another star.' And get this, so are even calling you the middleweight Jas Jonas."
Damon tilted his head, his lips twitching into a smirk. "Jas Jonas? Really? Because of that standing choke?"
Joey nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! That choke, man, it was insane. People love stuff like that. Clean, brutal, and technical. You're making waves, and not just because you're undefeated. They're talking about your creativity in the cage."
Damon leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "I don't mind the comparison. "
"Who wouldn't?" Joey said with a grin. Then, his expression shifted slightly, a glimr of curiosity in his eyes. "But on another note, you might have so competition coming up, and I'm not just talking about the upper ranks."
Damon gave Joey a lifted eyebrow but didn't say anything else.
"Man, that guy's a beast," Joey said, leaning against the wall. "I heard he's being coached by Kamil Murnamadov now. That's no joke."
Damon nodded, inhaling deeply. He already knew who Joey was referring to, but he listened anyway.
Joey crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his voice a little, as if the subject earned it. "Ivan Novak."
The na hung like a cloud between them.
Damon's forr teammate on The Supre Fighter. A dangerous competitor with raw talent and an almost unsettling work ethic.
Damon had always known that once Ivan Novak made it to the UFA, he'd be a force to be reckoned with.
Ivan wasn't just talented; he was disciplined to the point of obsession.
He had seen Ivan move, do techniques, or fight, and every ti it showed accuracy and control.
And not to rely on stereotypes, but Damon couldn't ignore the simple truth, he was Russian.
Those guys were built differently, forged in harsh environnts that seed to breed fighters with an almost inhuman level of grit and determination.
But what made it worse, or perhaps more terrifying, was Ivan's new coach, Kamil Murnamadov.
Soone considered legend in the MMA world, Kamil was known for taking fighters with potential and molding them into absolute monsters in the cage.
Damon had seen a few of Ivan's fights since he signed with the UFA.
They weren't just victories; they were statents.
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Each fight was a show of controlled violence, a mix of raw strength and perfect technique that left his opponents hurt, broken, and unable to continue.
It was clear Ivan had only grown more dangerous since their ti on The Supre Fighter.
It wasn't lost on Damon that Ivan had been rising quickly.
While he wasn't ranked just yet, it was obvious to anyone paying attention that it was only a matter of ti.
Ivan's trajectory was sharp, and his path would inevitably cross Damon's sooner rather than later.
Damon sighed, crossing his arms.
The thought of facing Ivan again didn't bring fear, but it did spark sothing, an understanding of just how far they'd both co since their early days.
And when the ti ca, it wasn't going to be easy for either of them.
And it didn't help that they had made a pact back during The Supre Fighter, a promise that one day they would face each other in the UFA.
It wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when.
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