The roar of the crowd faded as Damon walked the hallway, belt slung over his shoulder.
Svetlana carried Ava close beside him, while Victor and Joey followed a step behind.
Inside the locker room, Damon set the belt against the wall and sat down on the bench.
Ava climbed onto his lap, thumb in her mouth until Damon gently pulled it out and kissed her cheek.
Victor crouched in front of him. "You broke him down step by step. That's how champions do it."
"Yeah," Damon said simply.
Joey handed him water. "Good? You just made an undefeated interim champ quit. That's not good, that's scary."
Damon sipped, set it down, and looked at the belt. It glead under the lights, but his mind was elsewhere.
Svetlana leaned on the wall, arms crossed, watching him. Damon t her eyes, managed a faint smile, then looked down at Ava resting against his chest.
For the first ti that night, the fight was over.
Victor and Joey hadn't seen Damon properly since the fight, so their reaction was fresh.
Victor leaned forward, arms resting on his knees. "About what you said at the conference… wanting more. Does that an you're actually accepting that boxing callout?"
Damon gave a small grin and nodded. "Yeah. Gotta start sowhere, right?"
Joey's eyes lit up. He almost dropped the phone in his hand, already buzzing from notifications.
Handling Damon's promotion and dia, he knew exactly what kind of waves this decision was about to cause.
Victor shook his head with a chuckle. "Well, if you're serious, the whole world's about to find out just how far you're willing to go."
Damon leaned back, calm, letting it all sink in.
Victor turned slightly, glancing at his daughter. He wanted to see her reaction more than Damon's words.
Svetlana stood behind Damon with her arms folded, a confident smile on her face. There was no hesitation, only quiet certainty.
Victor let out a small laugh through his nose. Clearly, the two of them had already talked about this.
Crossing over to boxing could ruin a fighter's reputation.
It was a different world, one that had chewed up and embarrassed many mixed martial artists before.
But Victor knew Damon wasn't just anyone. In all this ti, Damon had taken on the impossible and co out stronger.
If anyone could carry that risk without self-sabotaging, it was him.
.
.
.
And when the whole event passed.. the dia had its reaction.
@FightCentralNews
"What a night! Damon Cross retains his title by TKO in Round 5. Ivan Novak suffers his first loss after an undefeated 14–0 run. Fans divided over the stoppage. #CrossEra #UFA"
@MMAJunkyard
"Close call? Damon admitted Ivan made him work early. First round was Novak's best, and so say Damon looked shaky. Still, he turned it around in devastating fashion. #UFA"
@CombatTalk24
"Was Round 1 proof Damon isn't invincible? Or was it just a slow start? Hard to argue with 31–0."
@CrossH8ter99
"Let's be real, Damon LOST that first round BAD. If Ivan had better gas tank, we'd have a new champ right now. #Facts"
@IrishRonin4Life
"Lol stop crying. Ivan went to one knee from BODY SHOTS. Ref was 100% right. He quit. Damon broke him. #CrossEra #AndStill"
@PunchesAndPints
"Everyone hating the stoppage: watch the replay. Ref told Ivan 'fight back.' He didn't. Instead he crumbled to the body. Good call."
@RusFightPride
"No way that was a fair stoppage. Ivan was still defending. Damon gets all the privilege. Russia robbed."
@TrueMMAfan
"31-0, two-division champ, defended again. Stop pretending Ivan was robbed. Damon dominated after Round 2. #GOAT"
@CageChronicles
"Novak showed sothing no one else has: making Damon work in the grappling early. But by the 5th, the difference in levels was clear. Damon is just… too much."
@FanaticFrank
"Stoppage was fine. If Ivan couldn't even get up after the horn, how's he supposed to fight back? Respect to him but Damon's different."
@MMARealist
"Novak's first loss is gonna sting, but it wasn't a robbery. Damon had him figured out by the 3rd. That body work was nasty."
@CrossNation
"Another win. Another era. Damon Cross continues to silence doubters. You don't like it? Beat him. #CrossEra"
The fight wasn't the only headline of the night.
When the dust settled, attention shifted to the post-fight press conference. Damon's answers stirred the MMA world almost as much as his performance.
Instead of celebrating the defense, he spoke openly about being asked by his wife if he was "done." Damon admitted he wasn't satisfied yet, that he wanted more, to have fun, to chase new challenges, and even to test himself in boxing.
That sent fans and dia into a frenzy. So begged him not to retire anyti soon, others couldn't wait to see how far he would go. To many, it felt like a new chapter was opening rather than one closing.
@MMAUnleashed
"Post-conference bombshell: Damon says he's not satisfied yet. Talks about wanting to hold THREE division titles and maybe step into boxing. The man's ambition is wild. #CrossEra"
@FightCentralNews
"Damon Cross shuts down retirent rumors. 'I'm not done.' Instead he's talking new goals, new divisions, and even crossover fights. Fans, buckle up."
@CrossNation
"Please never retire, Damon 🙏 The sport needs you. Watching you fight is different. #GOAT"
@OldSchoolFan81
"Man's already the most complete fighter in MMA history, but he wants more. Respect. This is how legends cent themselves forever."
@MMAFanaticGirl
"ssi, Ronaldo… now Damon. He said he wants to 'have fun' in his career now. I cannot WAIT. #CrossEra"
@DamonDoubter
"He should retire while on top. The more you chase, the more you risk losing it all. Don't be greedy."
@CombatTalk24
"Mixed reactions: so say Damon should walk away undefeated. Others want him to keep pushing. Either way, tonight's comnts prove he's not slowing down."
@FightTalkPod
"He basically said: 'I'm young, I want more, I want to fight the best.' That doesn't sound like a man even thinking of retirent. #AndStill"
@TrueMMAfan
"This is why he's different. Not satisfied with double champ. Not satisfied with 31-0. Damon wants to test himself everywhere. Legend."
@CrossCritic
"Greedy. He should quit while ahead. Three divisions? Boxing? He's gonna ruin his legacy chasing too much."
@MMAJunkyard
"Love him or hate him, Damon's comnts prove one thing: this story isn't close to over. If he does step into boxing, that's going to be massive."
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