MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat-Chapter 858: Back Home and Trending

The next day, Damon woke up fully energetic. Ava had fallen asleep early the night before, giving him a full rest. He stretched and moved around the room, feeling light and ready, a rare moment of calm after the whirlwind of fights and traveling.

Some hours later, the family boarded the plane home. Damon sat back in his seat, glancing out the window as the city below shrank into a patchwork of lights and buildings. Between stretches and checking on Ava, he pulled out his phone and opened social media.

Chipper greeted him with a flood of notifications. Mentions, reposts, and tags filled his screen. The feeds were alive with clips from his fights, crowd reactions, and highlights from the UFA-UNO crossover event.

The posts weren't just about him, they captured the full scope of the event, the crossover matches, and the energy of the arenas, but a huge portion focused on Damon himself.

He scrolled through:

@FightFanatic99: "Damon Cross ended it in the first round AGAIN. Unreal. This man is a machine. #CrossFight #MMAKing"

@GlobalMMA: "UFA x UNO night recap: 4 title fights, multiple knockouts, and Damon Cross is going to be dominating twice in one event. Absolute legend. 🔥"

@SportsWireOfficial: "Middleweight and Light Heavyweight champion Damon Cross sets a new standard. Fans are calling him a modern gladiator."

@AsiaMMAHighlights: "Watch the full sequence: Damon's fight against Shenil Ardigon. First-round finish. Crowd goes wild. #UFAUNO"

@FanPageMMA: "Damon climbing the cage after his win… no one in history in this high level has done this twice in one week lets one comes out of the second fight. #DoubleChampion #Respect"

@TheMMAJournal: "Shenil Ardigon looked strong but got dismantled in minutes. Damon's composure and technique are unmatched."

@MMALegends: "GOAT"

@FightHighlightsTV: "Watch the UFA vs UNO young champions' fight too, epic stand-up striking and insane footwork. Asia fans loved it. #NextGenMMA"

Damon kept scrolling, seeing fans debate, praise, and even question some of the referee's calls, but nearly everyone acknowledged his skill. Some clips went viral, reposted hundreds of thousands of times, each highlighting his speed, timing, and tactical dominance.

He let himself smile, letting the reactions roll in. There was no time to dwell on it too long, but seeing the acknowledgment, seeing the excitement he generated, was satisfying.

He pocketed the phone, focusing on Ava who was now stirring in her seat, and Svetlana quietly watching him from across the aisle.

The plane hummed steadily through the clouds, carrying them back home, while online, Damon Cross's name continued to trend.

He wouldn't say he was obsessed with media or validation. That wasn't him. But he would be lying if he said the reason he checked online wasn't to get his ego stroked, and the posts never failed to do exactly that. The praise, the awe, the excitement, it hit the right spots.

...

The flight was fast and ince everyone landed they were ready to get home.

Victor checked something on his phone as they walked through the airport. His expression shifted slightly before he looked up at the others.

"You guys go on ahead," he said. "I've got a few things I need to handle."

Damon nodded. "Alright."

Victor crouched slightly and opened his arms toward Ava.

"Come here, sweetheart." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Ava ran over and hugged him quickly.

"Bye Grandpa!"

Victor smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Bye, kiddo. Be good for your mom and dad."

"I am good!" she said immediately.

Victor chuckled before standing back up. "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you soon."

He gave Damon and Svetlana a quick nod before walking off toward another part of the terminal.

Once he was gone, the three of them headed outside. Damon called for a ride, and after a short wait a car pulled up to take them home.

The drive was long but quiet. Ava looked out the window for a while before slowly leaning against Svetlana and falling asleep halfway through the trip.

By the time they reached the house, everyone was tired.

Damon carried Ava inside while Svetlana walked beside him. Once they stepped through the door, Damon gently set Ava down so she could wake up on her own.

He reached for Svetlana's hand.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

She let out a small breath.

"Well… I'm tired," she said. "But other than that, I'm hungry. What about you?"

"Tired," Damon replied. "But let me make something for you."

He stepped further into the house and turned on the lights.

Behind him, Ava suddenly ran past them and dropped her small backpack on the floor.

"Home!" she shouted.

She ran from the living room to the couch, then to the hallway, clearly burning the last bit of energy she had saved during the trip.

"I flew on a plane!" she said loudly while jumping onto the couch.

Damon watched her for a moment and shook his head with a small smile.

"Someone's not tired anymore," he said.

Svetlana's voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

"Ava, don't drop your bag. Come pick it up."

Damon walked into the kitchen while listening to Svetlana's stern tone and shook his head slightly. She was good at that. When Ava started running around or leaving things everywhere, Svetlana could shut it down quickly.

Damon, on the other hand, struggled with it.

He glanced toward the living room where Ava was now dragging her bag back toward the hallway after being called out.

"Ah… I'm probably spoiling her too much," he muttered to himself.

Still, the thought didn't bother him much.

He opened the fridge and started pulling out a few things. Svetlana had said she was hungry, and he knew she needed to eat properly with the pregnancy. Damon moved around the kitchen quietly, cutting vegetables and heating up some rice. He cooked some chicken as well, keeping the seasoning light.

Once that was done, he made a smaller plate for Ava. Even if she had energy now, she would probably get hungry soon.

A few minutes later he placed the plates on the table.

"Food's ready," he called.

Svetlana came over first, sitting down with a tired sigh. Ava climbed onto her chair not long after, still talking about the plane and the clouds she saw through the window.

Damon stayed for a few minutes, making sure they had everything they needed.

Then he stretched his arms and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm going to sleep," he said.

Svetlana nodded. "Go."

Damon walked down the hallway and entered the bedroom. The moment he lay down on the bed, his body relaxed.

The travel, the fight, and the long day finally caught up with him.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep quickly.

After all, once this short rest period ended, he only had a week of preparation left.

Saturday was coming fast.

And he had to be ready for Anton.