Chapter 864: Dangerous waters

Chapter 864: Chapter 864: Dangerous waters

The fight continued, with Damon maintaining his pressure and keeping Anton on the back foot.

Anton tried to create some distance, throwing a few jabs and looking for an opening, but Damon wasn’t giving him much room. Every time Anton attempted to settle into his stance, Damon was there to disrupt him with another combination.

A quick jab, a straight right, followed by a low kick.

Anton blocked what he could, but he was slowly being pushed into a corner.

Damon stepped in with another combination, forcing Anton to cover up as he delivered a final punch to the body. Anton tried to answer with a short hook, but Damon pulled his head back just in time, making the punch miss.

It wasn’t until the horn rang that Damon finally relaxed his muscles and took a step back.

BEEEEEP!

The first round was over.

"AND THAT’S THE END OF THE FIRST ROUND!" Demian announced.

The crowd erupted as both fighters made their way back to their respective corners. Damon raised one glove briefly toward the audience before turning his attention to Victor.

"Well, that was quite the opening round. Damon Cross has been controlling the fight almost from the beginning. Anton has had his moments, but he’s been struggling to deal with Damon’s pressure."

"I agree," Jon replied. "Damon has been dictating the pace, landing the cleaner shots and shutting down most of Anton’s attempts to take him down. I’d give that round to him without much hesitation."

Damon reached his corner and sat on his stool, taking a long drink from his water bottle.

He liked how the round had gone. He had set the pace and made sure Anton didn’t get a chance to breathe.

If I’m right, he’ll engage right at the start to avoid being pressured again, Damon thought.

Victor knelt in front of him, checking his hands and face.

"That was great. Very good, son. You kept him on his toes and gave him no chance to counter. But I need you to search for a finishing strike. Don’t drag this out more than you should."

Damon nodded, taking another sip.

Victor leaned closer.

"Here’s what I’m thinking. Next round, you go for the takedown. Put him on his back, drain his energy, make him carry your weight. He’s strong, but he’s not used to being underneath someone for long. You can break him there."

Damon usually preferred to do his own thing, regardless of what his corner suggested. But he had to admit the idea had merit.

Anton was a solid wrestler, but his endurance on the ground had been questioned in past fights. Still, Damon wanted to feel out the second round first. See how Anton adjusted. Then he would decide.

The buzzer sounded.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the second round is about to begin," Demian said. "If you missed the first, it was a show of excellent striking from Damon, but Anton showed some incredible defense. What do you think is going to happen here?"

"Well, I know Anton is going to try to avoid the same situation he was put in," Jon replied. "He’s too smart to let Damon walk him down again. The question is whether he’s got an answer."

The referee looked at both fighters and signaled.

The horn sounded.

Just as Damon had predicted, Anton came out firing.

The moment the referee stepped away, Anton moved forward aggressively, throwing a sharp jab followed by a heavy right hand.

Damon slipped the jab, tilted his head away from the right, and shifted to the side. But Anton wasn’t giving him time to reset. He followed with a left hook, then another straight right, each punch coming faster than the last.

Damon raised his guard, blocking the hook against his forearm before ducking beneath the next punch.

He weaved to the other side, narrowly avoiding another hook aimed at his head. His movements were smooth and controlled, barely wasting any energy as he moved around Anton’s attacks.

The crowd began to grow louder.

"OH! LOOK AT THE DEFENSE!" Demian shouted. "Damon is making everything miss!"

Anton kept coming.

He threw a jab, a cross, then a hook, but Damon moved through the combination with incredible precision. He slipped one, blocked another, and rolled beneath the final punch before stepping out of range.

It was almost like he knew what Anton was going to throw before he threw it.

"That’s incredible!" Jon exclaimed. "Look at his head movement! He’s reading Anton’s combinations and making him miss by inches!"

But Anton wasn’t backing down.

He stepped forward again, throwing a heavy right hand that Damon caught on his guard before moving to the side.

"Damon! Don’t let him push you back!" Victor shouted from his corner. "Hold your ground! Make him pay!"

Damon heard him.

He planted his feet, waiting for Anton to commit to another combination.

Anton threw a jab.

Damon slipped outside it, moved his head away from the follow-up right, then ducked beneath a left hook.

The crowd erupted.

"HE’S MAKING HIM LOOK SILLY!" Demian shouted.

"That’s elite-level defense!" Jon added. "Anton is throwing everything at him, and Damon is finding a way around almost every single strike!"

Damon finally saw an opening.

Anton threw another right hand, and Damon slipped to the outside, preparing to fire a counter straight down the middle.

But Anton had been waiting for that.

The moment Damon committed to the punch, Anton shifted his weight and fired a short, vicious counter hook.

CRACK!

It connected cleanly against Damon’s jaw.

For a moment, everything went blurry.

Damon’s vision shifted, and his balance disappeared. He tried to steady himself, but his legs weren’t responding the way they should.

His knees buckled.

He dropped to one knee.

The arena went silent for a fraction of a second before erupting.

"OH MY GOD!"

"ANTON LANDED IT!"

Damon blinked, trying to clear his vision as the canvas beneath him seemed to move.

But Anton wasn’t going to give him time to recover.

The Russian champion immediately rushed forward, looking to finish the fight.