Chapter 867: The Final Answer

Chapter 867: Chapter 867: The Final Answer

But the Russian champion wasn’t finished.

Anton raised his guard and forced himself back into position. His breathing had become heavier, and his movements were noticeably stiffer, but he wasn’t ready to surrender.

Damon watched him carefully before stepping forward.

Anton opened with a jab followed by a powerful right hand. Damon slipped outside the cross and answered with a left hook, which Anton managed to block before circling away.

"Anton needs to find an answer quickly," Jon commented. "Damon has started getting the better of these exchanges, and the longer this continues, the more difficult it’s going to become for the Russian."

Demian nodded. "He can’t keep trading with Damon like this."

Anton seemed to understand. He began circling, looking for an opening rather than immediately committing to another combination. Damon followed patiently, using his jab to keep the Russian occupied before punishing his movement with a low kick.

When Anton eventually stepped forward again, Damon slipped his jab, blocked the right cross and returned a short punch to the body. Before the Russian could respond, a left hook caught him near the temple.

Anton staggered slightly.

"OHH! Another clean combination from Damon!"

The Russian quickly raised his guard, but Damon was already looking for another opening. He feinted toward the head before driving a punch into the body. Anton lowered his elbow to defend, allowing Damon to change the angle and send a left hook around his guard.

"That’s beautiful work!" Demian exclaimed. "Damon is making him defend two different targets, and Anton is struggling to keep up!"

Jon leaned forward. "He’s setting traps. Every time Anton reacts to one attack, Damon is finding another opening."

Anton gritted his teeth and answered with a heavy right hand, but Damon stepped outside its path and landed another punch to the stomach. The Russian backed away, visibly uncomfortable.

Realising that he couldn’t continue trading strikes, Anton suddenly changed levels and shot toward Damon’s waist, hoping to bring the fight to the ground.

Damon widened his stance and threw his hips backward before Anton could secure his grip. He pressed down on the Russian’s shoulders, stopping his forward momentum, then circled away as Anton tried to adjust.

"Excellent takedown defence!" Jon shouted. "Anton went for the legs, but Damon shut it down immediately!"

Anton rose to his feet, only to find Damon waiting for him.

A jab snapped against his face, followed by a straight right that slipped through his guard. Anton attempted to return fire, but Damon moved outside the punch and caught him with a short left hook.

The Russian stumbled toward the cage.

"ANTON IS HURT!"

Damon advanced without rushing the finish. He continued working behind his jab, cutting off Anton’s attempts to escape while looking for openings to attack the body.

The Russian eventually pushed forward with a wide left hook, hoping to force an exchange. Damon leaned away and attempted to counter, but Anton caught his arm and pulled him into a clinch.

The two fought for inside control, exchanging short punches and knees. Anton managed to turn Damon slightly, but before he could press him against the cage, Damon freed his arm and created enough space to separate.

The crowd roared as both men returned to the centre.

"Anton is still fighting!" Demian shouted. "He’s taking a lot of punishment, but he’s refusing to back down!"

"That’s what makes him such a dangerous opponent," Jon replied. "He’s a champion for a reason. Even under this kind of pressure, he’s still looking for ways to turn the fight around."

Anton stepped forward with another jab, but Damon caught it on his gloves and immediately returned a straight right. A left hook followed, forcing the Russian to turn his head away.

Damon noticed the reaction and stepped closer.

He feinted a jab, drawing Anton’s guard upward before shifting his weight and driving a powerful right hand into the body.

THUD!

Anton folded slightly, his elbows dropping instinctively to protect his ribs.

Damon immediately brought his left hand upstairs.

The hook connected cleanly with Anton’s jaw.

The Russian’s legs buckled, and he stumbled backward until his back met the cage.

"HE’S IN SERIOUS TROUBLE!" Demian screamed.

Anton tried to cover up, but Damon was already closing the distance. A short right hand slipped through his guard, followed by a left hook that sent the Russian sliding down the fence.

Anton hit the canvas.

The crowd erupted.

Damon followed him down, securing his position before beginning to work from the top. Anton brought his arms up to protect his head, but Damon maintained his balance and delivered short, controlled punches around the guard.

The Russian attempted to turn onto his side and recover his position, but Damon adjusted with him, keeping the pressure on while continuing to land.

"Anton needs to do something!" Jon shouted. "He’s not defending himself effectively, and Damon is landing!"

Anton tried to cover up and move toward the cage, but another punch slipped through his guard. His attempts to improve his position were becoming increasingly sluggish.

The referee moved closer.

Damon landed another right hand, followed by a short left as Anton tried to turn away.

That was enough.

The referee immediately stepped between them, grabbing Damon and waving his arms to stop the fight.

"THAT’S IT! THAT’S IT! THE FIGHT IS OVER!"

Damon immediately stopped and moved away as the arena erupted.

"WHAT A PERFORMANCE! DAMON CROSS HAS DONE IT AGAIN!" Demian screamed.

Jon was almost shouting over the noise. "Anton Malikin actually managed to hurt Damon in this fight. He put him down and gave the champion some serious problems, but Damon adapted, found his openings and eventually broke him down!"

Damon stood near the centre of the cage, breathing heavily as the referee checked on Anton.

The Russian eventually rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling with a frustrated expression. He had given everything he had, but it still hadn’t been enough.

Damon watched for a moment before turning toward his corner.

Victor was already standing, applauding with a huge smile on his face.

Damon grinned and raised his arms toward the crowd.

’Told you I had this.’

He had been tested, caught off guard and pushed into a difficult position, but he had found a way to turn the fight around.

And once he did, Anton had been unable to stop him.

The team entered the cage almost immediately, with Victor reaching Damon first. He slapped him on the shoulder, wearing a wide grin.

"That gave us a scare, huh?"

Damon chuckled. "What? You didn’t think I could handle him?"

"Don’t get ahead of yourself," Victor replied, shaking his head. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

The others gathered around, congratulating Damon on the victory. Joey was particularly excited, and the rest of the team shared his enthusiasm. Their champion had come through, even after giving them a scare in the second round.

Damon couldn’t help thinking about how close his undefeated record had come to taking its first hit. Anton had been a serious threat, and there was no denying the power behind the Russian’s punches.

’If that’s how hard a great champion like Anton can punch, I wonder what the heavyweights are capable of.’

The thought brought a grin to his face.

He was already looking forward to finding out.

However, there was still one thing left to do.

The referee called both fighters toward the centre of the cage and took hold of their wrists. Damon stood beside Anton as they waited for the official announcement.

The arena gradually settled, although the excitement remained obvious.

The announcer stepped forward with a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the referee has called a stop to this contest at four minutes and thirty-two seconds of the third round, declaring the winner by technical knockout..."

He paused, allowing the anticipation to build.

"And STILL the undefeated, undisputed double champion of the UFA..."

The referee began raising the winner’s arm.

"DAAAAMON..."

The crowd erupted.

"’THE RONIN’..."

"And CROSSSSSS!"