MTLNOVEL Chapter 648: Chirper Roars
After the fight, the digital world exploded as fans flooded Chirper, their posts capturing the chaos and brilliance of what they'd just witnessed.
The match had been everything. long, brutal, and deeply entertaining.
@FightNightFanatic: DAMON CROSS IS A BEAST!!! What a performance at 205! #DoubleChampComing
@MMAJunkieKiller: Wow. Damon's got power even at light heavyweight. But Jon made him look human today, he's not unbeatable.
@IronJawed_Joe: Jon had his moments, but Damon was just too much. That was a fight for the ages! #CrossEra
@ChinCheckMaster: Damon looked vulnerable for the first time in forever, but he found a way. That's what makes a champ.
@WarriorSpirit88: Damon Cross vs. Jon Dlachovizc might be fight of the year! So much heart from both guys.
@TheRealMMAWizard: Damon's movement at 205 is scary. If he wants the belt, he'll get it. #FutureDoubleChamp
@FightScience_101: Damon took more damage tonight than I've ever seen, but he never stopped. That was a real test.
@MMA_Nerd: This was Jon's best performance in years and Damon still pulled it out. What a fight!
@IrishHeartBeat: Damon's got that real warrior spirit. He didn't play it safe, he took Jon's best and gave it back double.
@CombatCorner: Damon Cross vs. Jon Dlachovizc, 205 will never be the same after that.
@PowerInTheCage: Damon took a huge risk moving up and it paid off. Can't wait to see him fight for that title next.
@OctagonLegends: Damon was tested tonight, and he showed he's not just a middleweight champ, he's a real fighter, no matter the weight. #Respect
The posts kept coming, thousands of voices sharing their take on what they'd seen.
This was the first time fans had seen their undefeated king so close to vulnerable.
Damon had always looked untouchable, a fighter who made even the best look a step behind.
But tonight, it could have all ended in the first round when Jon dropped him.
For a split second, the world had seen Damon Cross not as the invincible champion, but as a man with blood on his face and a target on his chin.
Many fans loved the warriors with iron chins, the guys who could eat bombs and keep moving.
But tonight was a reminder that good movement, smart, precise movement, will always beat that bullshit.
Now, while Damon's chin was anything but weak, everyone saw that tonight, his body was something else entirely.
His conditioning had always been at another level, his ability to take punishment and keep coming forward a testament to the hours he put in the gym.
Damon's body was a fortress, built from the ground up, and it showed tonight in every moment he refused to quit.
But it did beg the question. Jon wasn't the division's hardest hitter. Everyone knew that.
If Damon faced the true power punchers at light heavyweight, the men who put people out cold with a single shot, would his chin hold up?
Could even that insane durability keep him standing when the heaviest hitters landed flush?
The fight tonight had raised that question in every fan's mind. Damon had faced real danger for the first time in years, and he'd survived.
But the light heavyweight division was full of monsters, each one bigger and stronger than Jon.
The fans wondered: was this the first crack in Damon's armor, or just proof that he was ready to stand against the biggest threats the division had to offer?
Another thing fans wanted was clear, Damon in a title match. It was the natural next step, the final piece of the puzzle that everyone wanted to see.
The champion everyone had their eyes on was Alex Tereira. In some ways, he and Damon shared a mirrored story.
Tereira had appeared at the top of the mountain at middleweight, taking the belt and then losing it, only to rise again in the light heavyweight division to become champion once more.
He was a fighter who rewrote the rules with his power, his striking, and his unwavering belief in himself.
But there was a difference, a huge one. Damon was still the middleweight champion. And he was still undefeated.
The idea of those two meeting in the cage was enough to light the whole MMA world on fire.
It was a chance to see if Damon's streak, his legacy, could hold up against the man who had done it all in two divisions. And the fans wanted it.
They wanted to see if Damon could take that one last step and become something even more than a champion. They wanted to see if he could become a legend.
But since Damon was new to the division, and Jon wasn't a top contender anymore, the win didn't automatically mean a title shot.
There were still lines to be drawn, rankings to be respected, and matches to be made before Damon could claim a shot at Alex Tereira's belt.
Still, Damon was Damon Cross. He was the reigning middleweight champion, undefeated, a name that commanded respect in every arena he stepped into.
And that name, Damon Cross, demanded special treatment. The fans knew it. The promoters knew it. Everyone knew it.
It was that reason, more than rankings or wins, that had the fans already buzzing about what should come next.
The speculation wasn't if Damon would get the shot at Tereira. It was when. Many had already decided he had to face one more guy, a real top contender, and then he'd be standing across from the champion.
After all, Damon had never been the type to chase the shortcut. He hadn't asked for the title shot tonight, even though he probably could have gotten it.
And that just made the fans believe it even more. Damon wouldn't demand it, but he would earn it.
And when he did, it wouldn't just be another fight. It would be a fight that made history.
The question was which contender would be the one to step in the cage with the undisputed Irish Ronin.
The light heavyweight division was full of big names, men who had spent years building themselves up for a shot at gold. But now, with Damon in the mix, everything felt different.