Chapter 868: The Next Challenge

After spending a few more minutes celebrating inside the cage, Damon and his team finally made their way backstage.

The excitement was still high, with everyone chatting about the fight and how close Anton had come to turning things around in the second round.

Damon, however, was mostly relieved.

He had finally gotten through the fight, and after two bouts in a single week, he was more than happy to have some time to himself. Fighting twice in seven days was no small achievement, especially at his level, and it wasn't something he took lightly.

Still, there was plenty to celebrate.

His professional record now stood at 34 wins, zero losses and zero draws.

Thirty-four consecutive victories.

Damon couldn't help wondering how long it would take him to reach forty. That was only six more fights, after all.

And what about fifty?

Not many fighters managed to compete in that many professional bouts, let alone win every single one of them. Maintaining an undefeated record over such a long career was an achievement in itself.

'Forty first. Then we'll see about fifty.'

There was another matter he wanted to address once he returned to UFA.

The heavyweight division.

Damon had already established himself as the dominant champion at middleweight and light heavyweight. There wasn't much left for him to prove in either division, and he wanted to test himself against the biggest men in the sport.

Fortunately, his position within UFA made things considerably easier.

With his popularity, accomplishments and status as one of the promotion's biggest stars, he didn't necessarily need to work his way through the heavyweight rankings before getting a title opportunity. If the promotion agreed, he could go straight into a major fight.

Of course, that would have to wait until he returned.

His life outside the cage was hardly dull either.

Svetlana's pregnancy was progressing, and the arrival of their next child was getting closer with every passing week. Damon was already looking forward to becoming a father again, even if he knew having another baby in the house would bring its own challenges.

Then there was Joey and Ashley.

Their wedding was also approaching, and with everything that had been happening lately, it wouldn't be long before the team had another reason to celebrate.

Between his fighting career, his growing family and the people around him, Damon certainly had plenty to look forward to.

The UFA versus UNO event was still ongoing, and Damon had no intention of leaving before it finished. In fact, the team competition had practically been decided by the time he entered the cage. UFA had been overwhelmingly dominant throughout the event, and his victory only strengthened their position.

He wanted to see the remaining fights.

"You're really staying to watch the rest?" Joey asked as they approached their dressing room.

"Why wouldn't I?" Damon replied. "We've been here all day. Might as well enjoy the show."

Victor chuckled. "Just make sure you don't fall asleep in your seat."

"Depends on the next fight."

The group laughed as they entered the room.

Damon wasted little time heading for the showers. He wanted to wash off the sweat, change into something comfortable and get back to his seat before the next bout started.

The hot water felt particularly good against his tired muscles. He took his time washing up, then dried himself and changed into a clean set of clothes.

By the time he came out, his phone was already ringing.

He glanced at the screen and immediately smiled.

"Svetlana."

He answered the call.

"Hey, baby."

But before he could hear his wife's voice, a much smaller and more excited voice came through the speaker.

"Papa! You won!"

Damon's smile widened.

"Hello to you too, princess."

"Ava, let Daddy talk," Svetlana said in the background, though she sounded just as amused.

"No! I want to talk to Papa!"

Damon laughed, sitting down on the edge of the sofa.

"Alright, alright. I'm listening. Did you watch my fight?"

"Yes!" Ava answered enthusiastically. "You punched the bad man!"

Damon chuckled.

"Well, he wasn't a bad man, sweetheart. He was just trying to win."

"But you won!"

"That's right. Daddy won."

"Did you get hurt?"

The question made his smile soften.

"A little, but I'm alright. Don't worry about me."

"Good!"

He could hear her moving around on the other end, probably trying to get closer to the phone.

Svetlana finally spoke.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm good. Just tired."

"You gave us quite a scare."

Damon leaned back against the sofa.

"Seems like everyone's saying that today."

"Maybe you should listen to them."

He laughed.

"Come on, baby. You know I had everything under control."

"Of course you did," she replied, clearly unconvinced.

Damon shook his head, smiling.

"Anyway, I'm done now. Just waiting for the remaining fights to finish before heading back."

"Don't stay up too late. You've had two fights this week."

"I know. I'll be fine."

There was a brief pause before Ava's voice returned.

"Papa?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Can you come home now?"

Damon looked down at the phone, his smile becoming a little softer.

"Not yet, sweetheart. But I'll be home soon, alright?"

"Okay."

"I love you."

"Love you too, Papa!"

Damon chuckled.

"Give Mommy a kiss for me."

"Okay!"

He heard Svetlana laughing before she came back onto the call.

"Take care of yourself, Damon."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too."

The call ended, leaving Damon sitting with a smile on his face.

For all the excitement that came with fighting, moments like these were what he looked forward to most.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and stood up.

There were still a few fights left to watch, and after that, he could finally head home.

He had earned the rest.

You're right. I changed too much when you only wanted the ending adjusted. I'll keep your original flow and energy.

Damon returned to the viewing area, where everyone was already seated.

"Hopefully, I haven't missed the fight."

"You're right on time. It just started. Honestly, it must be scary being the referee among those big behemoths," one of the team members remarked.

Damon chuckled as he took his seat, his attention immediately shifting to the screen. The two heavyweights were already inside the cage, and even through the broadcast, their sheer size was impressive.

He settled back, watching the opening exchanges. Then, as the camera panned across the arena, it briefly focused on one of the fighters, bringing up his name and championship credentials.

The UFA Heavyweight Champion.

The next man on his list.

N'Golo Francis.