MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

The moment the podcast was released, it did numbers, but it wasn't immediate.

At first, it made the usual rounds. Hardcore fans watched it in full, shared their favorite clips, talked about his mindset, his training, his quiet confidence.

But the part that went viral…

Wasn't about the fights.

It was the moment Damon opened up about his childhood. More specifically, what his father had done to him and his mother.

That shifted everything.

People didn't just watch it. They reacted to it.

Clips of that segment spread like fire. It wasn't dramatic or tear-filled, just calm honesty. And maybe that's why it hit so hard. The fact that someone so composed, so feared inside a cage, had lived through something so brutal, it gave weight to everything he had become.

Fans started talking.

Not just about how Damon grew up poor, or homeless. That was already known in pieces.

But the abuse, that stood out. The physical, emotional hell he'd lived through as a child. And how he carried that weight, never used it as an excuse, never milked it for sympathy. Just lived with it. Rose from it.

It wasn't pity people felt, it was respect.

Athletes reposted it. Fighters, both known and unknown, spoke up. A few even shared their own stories. Some said it inspired them. Others just said they'd never look at Damon the same again, in the best way.

Of course, the fight talk still held weight. The shots at Chemasov, the confidence, the breakdowns.

But none of that carried the same gravity.

The world didn't see just a fighter anymore.

They saw what shaped him.

And that made his rise feel different. More real. More earned.

..

@mmaxmemezone:

Damon's dad: throws a punch

Damon (7 years old): slips, counters, double leg

Respect to the kid who turned trauma into technique.

@realMartinezUFA:

I got a kid. I can't imagine raising my hand to them. Hearing Damon talk about that? Made me sick. That man's a warrior in AND out the cage.

@TheCageReport:

Everyone talks about grit and heart in this sport.

Then you hear Damon Cross talk about his childhood and you realize what that actually means.

Respect.

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@ThatIrishChick:

Real talk, how do you hurt your own child like that? I don't care what culture, what era, that's evil. Damon deserves every bit of peace he gets now.

---

@BrawlerBryce69:

Imagine beating your kid so bad he becomes one of the coldest fighters on earth. Lmao Damon's dad fumbled the biggest bag in parenting history.

.

As expected, the story didn't fade quietly.

It spread, quick, loud, and wide. And not just through fight fans.

Joey called Damon the next morning. Said podcast hosts, talk shows, and sports networks were already reaching out. Everyone wanted him. Everyone wanted the story. A fresh scoop. A headline. Something raw.

But Damon didn't care for it.

He had already said what he needed to say.

He wasn't about to jump from one mic to another, repeating it over and over for clicks. This wasn't a tour. It was a one-time moment.

He ignored the calls. Left messages unanswered. Joey didn't even push.

Meanwhile, Victor stayed busy.

The team was already working to lock in the title shot.

It wasn't hard. Chemasov had already spoken out. He wanted the fight too.

It was only a matter of time.

The sun hung warm over the California sky as Damon drove, one hand on the wheel, the other resting loosely on his thigh. The road was wide and quiet, with stretches of green hills and wooden fences lining both sides.

Svetlana sat beside him, barefoot, legs tucked under her, one arm out the window catching the breeze. She looked relaxed, more so than she'd been in weeks.

They'd talked about this for a long time.

Not just in passing, not like a fantasy. But truly planning it, leaving the city, finding something real, grounded. A place they could grow into, not just live in.

The apartment had served its purpose.

But it was never meant to be forever.

"I looked up the property again last night," Svetlana said, looking toward the dashboard GPS. "Six acres. No one near for a mile. Still has the old barn too."

Damon glanced over and nodded. "That's the one?"

She smiled. "That's the one."

He didn't want something flashy.

They passed a wooden sign, carved with the words: Redwood Valley Estates. The road narrowed, and the trees thickened. It wasn't a gated community, it wasn't a community at all. Just spread-out properties and open nature.

The land they were heading to had a house. Simple, two floors. Rustic but modernized. The barn was old, but the beams still stood strong. There were fences, space for horses if they ever wanted. A garden. Space for a greenhouse. Trees.

Damon slowed the car as the driveway came into view. A long, gravel path, just as he remembered from the online listing.

They drove in slowly, windows still down.

Svetlana let out a soft breath.

Damon eased the car down the long gravel path, eyes scanning the house as it came into view. Two floors. Wood paneling. Wide land.

Trees framing the driveway like a tunnel. It was everything he imagined when they talked about building a life away from the noise.

But as he glanced toward Svetlana, he saw something change in her face.

Not a smile. Not awe. Just quiet… hesitation.

He slowly brought the car to a stop near the entrance of the driveway, engine humming low. He looked at her again, eyebrows pinched.

"You okay?" he asked, following her gaze.

Her hand rested on her stomach, her fingers lightly tracing the curve.

She nodded, but it didn't feel certain. "Just this…?"

Damon looked ahead at the wide stretch of open land, then back at her.

"You don't like it? I thought you wanted something like this."

"I do," she said, a little softer now. "I did. But that was before…"

She glanced down again, hand on her belly.

"…before this."

Damon followed her gesture with his eyes, then looked back out at the house. Secluded. Quiet. No other buildings in sight.

Svetlana exhaled. "I mean, think about it. This is so far from everything. No neighbors. No kids nearby. How will our baby make friends? Go to school? What if something happens and we're too far out?"

She wasn't angry or upset, just honest.

And he couldn't argue with her.

Damon leaned back, rubbing his thumb across the steering wheel. He let out a long breath, staring at the empty path in front of them.

"You could've said that before we drove all the way out here," he muttered, not accusing, just tired.

Svetlana smiled gently. "I didn't know how I'd feel till we got here."

Damon nodded, letting the silence fill the space for a few seconds. Then he put the car into reverse.

"I get it," he said.

She looked over. "You sure?"

"Yeah," he said. "It's not about the house. Or the land. I just want us to be good. All of us."