Chapter 405 - 363: The First Round (Round of 16), Trading Wins and Losses

"Assassin! Assassin!"

"Jackal! Jackal!"

...

Amidst the crowd’s shouts, the unexpected happened.

The Assassin lived up to his name. The moment he touched gloves with Jackal, he threw a straight right cross directly at Jackal’s face.

But Jackal seemed to have the same idea. The instant they touched gloves, he ducked and lunged forward, perfectly dodging the Assassin’s surprise attack.

Jackal powerfully pushed off the ground, his body shooting forward. He wrapped his left arm around the Assassin’s abdomen, instantly dropped to his knees, and spun, seamlessly transitioning into a duck-under rear takedown.

By the time the Assassin realized what was happening, it was too late. Jackal locked his hands tightly around the Assassin’s waist, pressing his face hard against the small of his opponent’s back.

Jackal unleashed the explosive power in his legs and core, performing a massive back suplex.

THUD! The Assassin was instantly slammed onto his back. Even though he did his best to protect the back of his head, both his back and his head made intimate contact with the canvas.

Before the dazed Assassin could even react, Jackal rained down a flurry of ground-and-pound punches on his face.

In an instant, the Assassin’s face was covered in blood. He felt his consciousness fading away before his hands finally went limp on the mat.

Jackal had only landed a few punches before the referee forcefully pushed him away.

Visibly excited, he took a running leap onto one of the corner posts of the ring and roared triumphantly at the crowd.

The sight of the fighter lying on the ground, his face covered in blood, and Jackal waving his bloodied fists in the air, instantly ignited the crowd’s passion.

"Jackal!"

"Jackal!"

"Jackal!"

...

The winner was decided in just a few seconds, causing some spectators who hadn’t even processed what happened to curse the Assassin for being useless.

Wu Yun nodded with satisfaction, acknowledging Jackal’s strength. The fighter was just like his namesake—an African predator that viciously attacks from behind.

Bashir was delighted to have won back a portion of his principal, but he was a bit puzzled that both matches had ended so quickly.

So, he voiced his confusion, "My dear Wu, why did both of these matches end so fast? The fights I used to watch rarely ended right after they started."

Wu Yun leaned back on the sofa and said comfortably, "Bashir, the fights you’ve watched were all sanctioned events, like boxing or the UFC. For those matches, the fighters generally get months, or even a year, to prepare. They have plenty of time to study their opponents’ habits and signature moves."

"So, they all go in knowing each other’s moves. At that point, it comes down to tactics and intelligence. Unless there’s a massive skill gap, technique alone doesn’t have much of an effect."

Bashir wasn’t a fool; hearing Wu Yun’s explanation, he more or less understood.

Wu Yun smiled and continued, "That’s why when experts face off, victory and defeat are often decided in an instant!"

"Besides, the casino wants this kind of unpredictability and authenticity. They can’t just publish every fighter’s technical profile. That would be bad for betting and would also let the fighters prepare."

"Just watch! Once the second round starts, you’ll rarely see such sudden finishes!"

Bashir gave Wu Yun a thumbs-up. "Wu! You really know a lot!"

Wu Yun chuckled. "I just train in combat sports regularly, so I know a little about this stuff!"

Hearing this, Takeda Nobuyoshi, who was sitting nearby, had a sudden flash of inspiration. An idea began to form, and his heart burned with excitement.

Just then, a casino employee came over with a tray. After returning their winnings and their original stakes, he began taking bets for the third match.

The third match was, of course, the duel between No. 3 Viper and No. 14 Rubber Man.

Wu Yun naturally bet on No. 3 Viper to win, even though the odds for both fighters were the same at 1.4.

Takeda Nobuyoshi, however, bet on Rubber Man. There was no particular reason, except that the short and stout Rubber Man appealed to his tastes.

Perhaps because they had seen how suddenly the first two matches ended from the locker room, both fighters were very cautious at the start of the third match.

The two went back and forth for several exchanges, with neither gaining any significant advantage.

However, thanks to Viper’s longer reach, he had gained an advantage on points by the end of the first round.

In the second round, Rubber Man, growing impatient, decided to rush in and attack Viper from the inside. But he walked right into Viper’s trap, was taken to the ground, and immediately submitted via chokehold.

"Baka!" Takeda Nobuyoshi leaped up from the sofa and angrily slapped the railing.

The fourth match was a duel between No. 4 King Kong and No. 13 Samurai.

Although the stats suggested that No. 13 Samurai, the Japanese fighter, had a better chance of winning, Wu Yun decided to mess with Takeda Nobuyoshi and said, "I’ll bet ten thousand that No. 13 Samurai gets KO’d in the first round."

Besides betting on the winner, the casino also offered more specific prop bets—similar to betting on the exact score in a soccer match—such as a win by submission or KO in the first round.

Naturally, the odds for such bets were much higher.

For example, the odds for King Kong to KO Samurai in the first round, which Wu Yun bet on, were 2.5, while the odds for Samurai to KO King Kong in the first round were 3.

This was a matter of national pride. Even though it was just a casino bet, Takeda Nobuyoshi gritted his teeth and declared, "I’ll bet one million that the Samurai submits his opponent in the first round!"

Since learning that Wu Yun also trained in combat sports, Takeda Nobuyoshi had become extremely cautious. Seeing that Wu Yun didn’t dare to place a large bet, he figured Wu Yun still didn’t have much faith in King Kong.

The outcome of the fourth match made Takeda Nobuyoshi very happy. Just as he predicted, the Samurai submitted his opponent in the first round with a Mukai Lock.

Takeda Nobuyoshi not only recouped all the money he had lost previously but also made a small profit. At the same time, the score in his betting war with Wu Yun was now tied at 3-3.