MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat-Chapter 747: Dropping gems

"Let’s run it again," James Jonas said as he waved the young middleweight forward.

Theo nodded and adjusted his mouthguard. His face was already flushed, chest rising and falling hard. But there was no hesitation. If Jonas said go again, you went again.

The cage door shut behind them. Damon leaned against the fence, arms crossed.

The rest of the team circled around the cage, some sitting on mats, others standing with gloves in hand. Everyone watched closely.

Theo touched gloves with Jonas and stepped back, bouncing lightly on his feet.

He had size and raw athleticism. Powerful legs, strong hips. But he was still learning how to put it together.

His biggest weakness was overcommitting, he tried to bulldoze his way through exchanges instead of setting traps.

Jonas didn’t move like a coach. He moved like a fighter who never forgot how to fight. His stance was relaxed, almost lazy. His hands were low. But his eyes never stopped watching.

Theo fired a jab, then a right low kick.

Jonas slid back, barely moving his feet. He didn’t even check the kick, just let it touch without showing any reaction.

Theo tried to step in with a left hook.

Jonas ducked it and shifted inside with ease, tapping Theo’s body with a short right and framing off with his elbow. He didn’t swing heavy. He placed everything.

"Stop rushing it," Jonas said calmly. "You’re trying to win the round instead of win the fight."

Theo nodded and circled out, throwing another jab.

This time Jonas swatted it down and walked forward.

He didn’t explode, he just cut the cage naturally. His body blocked exits. His footwork was simple, but perfect.

Theo went for a big overhand right. Jonas caught it on his forearm and pivoted, spinning Theo off balance.

"Again," Jonas said.

They reset.

Theo started throwing tighter shots. More patient. He flicked a jab and waited. Then came forward behind a low kick. Jonas checked it and stepped in with a short elbow that landed right on Theo’s guard.

"That’s better," Jonas said. "Make me think."

Theo fainted a shot and came upstairs with a hook. Jonas rolled under it and fired a knee up the middle, stopping just short of Theo’s ribs.

The sparring paused there. Jonas tapped his gloves together and motioned him to come closer.

"You’ve got tools," he said, not raising his voice. "But you’re in love with your power. Everyone thinks power is what makes you scary. It’s not. Pressure makes you scary. Intelligence. Timing. If you hit hard but I see everything coming? It doesn’t matter."

Theo exhaled and nodded, still catching his breath.

"Your body’s athletic, but your mind needs to slow down. Control the cage first. Don’t chase. Let them come to you sometimes. Force their hand."

He turned to Damon for a beat, then back to Theo. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"You ever wonder why guys like me lasted so long? It wasn’t the chin. It wasn’t size. It was control. People fought me on my terms. You learn that, you’ll win fights without even getting hit."

Theo nodded again, more focused this time.

Jonas clapped him on the shoulder.

"Alright. Now let’s run it back."

They touched gloves again, and Damon smiled to himself.

James had gone through all of them. One by one, each fighter on Damon’s team stepped into the cage with him, and each one walked out wide-eyed, humbled, and better.

Damon didn’t have to say a word. Jonas wasn’t just sparring for fun.

He was teaching with every slip, every block, every short counter that landed clean without needing to hurt.

And they respected him for it.

Damon leaned back against the cage wall, arms folded, a bottle of water hanging from his fingers.

He had been observing more than coaching today. Letting James work. Letting the fighters absorb. And it had been worth it.

The decision to bring Jonas in wasn’t easy. They didn’t know each other personally.

And yet, Damon had trusted him. Trusted his name, his reputation, and what he could give these fighters. So far, that trust had paid off.

He was about to call for cooldowns when he heard someone speak up from inside the cage.

"Hey coach," a voice called, smooth and casual. "How about a lil’ spar?"

Damon blinked.

It wasn’t one of his fighters.

His eyes shifted to the cage.

James Jonas stood there, gloves still on, breathing steady, even after five straight rounds.

He was smiling, not in a mocking way, but like a man who still had a little gas in the tank and wanted to test something.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "You talking to me?"

James nodded. "You’re the only coach here."

A few of the fighters laughed. Max let out a soft whistle. José nudged Kaito and muttered, "This gonna good."

Damon wasn’t caught off guard by the idea, more by how natural it felt.

Jonas wasn’t showing off. He wasn’t trying to embarrass him. This was just his way of extending that mutual respect into motion.

Damon straightened, unscrewed the cap from his water, and took a long sip. Then he set it down.

"I don’t usually get challenged in my own gym," he said, stepping forward with a faint smirk. "But I’ll make an exception."

He began pulling off his hoodie, tossing it to the side, and walked toward the cage.

As he climbed in, the room got quieter. Just the slow realization that something rare was about to happen.

Two champions.

Two minds.

One respectful round.

Damon rolled his shoulders once and stepped forward, nodding to the fighters still watching from outside the cage.

"This is just a light spar," he said calmly, glancing at Jonas.

James Jonas gave a short nod, pulling his mouthguard halfway out before speaking. "Of course. Just movement, rhythm... nothing stupid."

He tapped his gloves together and smiled, not wide, but enough to show he was in control.

Damon slid on his gloves, not even bothering with shin guards.

He knew this was about touch, not power. Still, his stance tightened naturally as he squared up. Jonas mirrored him, eyes calm, relaxed.

The two circled each other.