Damon stood in front of the door, his hand raised to knock. But he hesitated, thinking it was better to leave Edward alone.
He seemed to be taking the loss very hard. Damon turned around and walked quickly towards his own room.
As he walked, he pushed the thoughts of Edward out of his mind.
He didn't want to think about the other fighter's disappointment and frustration. Instead, he focused on his own upcoming fight.
Damon knew that losing wasn't the end of the world.
He had learned that lesson before. But it was easy to say that now, when he wasn't the one who had lost.
He had a temper, and he knew how hard it was to control his emotions when things didn't go his way.
Damon entered his room and sat down on the bench, taking a few deep breaths.
He tried to clear his mind and focus on the present moment.
He thought about his own strategy and technique, going over the moves he would make in the ring.
He stood up and began to pace back and forth, his mind filled with thoughts of the fight.
Damon walked over to the table, where his fighting gear was laid out.
He removed the plastic wrapping and began to undress, taking off his clothes and putting on his fighting shorts. He then put on his protective cup, making sure it was securely in place.
Next, he wrapped his hands with the bandages, carefully covering his wrists and fingers. He then slipped on his gloves, feeling the familiar weight and texture of the padding.
Damon closed his eyes, taking a moment to focus on his breathing. He thought about his training, and how far he had come.
He had spent countless hours practicing his basic punches, kicks, and elbows with the new punching bag.
When he first started on the punching bag, his proficiency level on basic Muay Thai attacks was at 50%.
Damon nodded back and kept walking, his eyes focused on the cage ahead.
He felt the adrenaline starting to rise, but he stayed calm. He knew he had to keep his emotions in check.
The announcer's voice boomed through the arena. "Introducing... Damon Cross!" The crowd responded with cheers, and Damon felt a surge of confidence. He kept walking, one step at a time, towards the cage.
He glanced across the cage at his opponent, a shorter fighter named Jaxon Lee, as usual.
As Damon entered the cage, the commentators began their discussion.
Michael Bosley spoke first. "Well, that was quite a tough end for Edward earlier. It's always hard to see a fighter's last chance slip away."
Daniel Greene nodded. "Yes, it's tough. But now it's time for others to shine. Damon Cross is stepping into the cage next. He's on a 2-0 win streak. His Muay Thai skills are impressive."
Michael added, "Damon's been doing great with his kicks and elbows. He's shown strong performance in his last fights."
Daniel continued, "His opponent, Jaxon Lee, has a strong boxing background. He relies on his punches. It'll be interesting to see how Damon's Muay Thai handles Jaxon's boxing."
The crowd cheered as Damon and Jaxon faced each other. The stage was set for another exciting fight.
The referee entered the cage and addressed both fighters.
"Alright, gentlemen," he said, "I'm going to go over the rules. Obey my commands at all times. Protect yourself at all times.
No hitting to the back of the head, no low blows, no grabbing the cage, and no kneeing the groin. If you want to touch gloves, do it now."
Damon and Jaxon touched gloves.
"Fight clean. Fight fair. If you're ready, I'm ready. Let's have a good fight."
The referee stepped back to his position and signaled for the fight to begin. "Alright, fighters. Ready? Fight!"
Damon flashed a confident smile, his eyes locking onto Jaxon's across the cage. "Just another day in the office," he muttered, his voice low and even.
The words were going to be a familiar mantra, a reminder that he'd been in tough spots before and always come out on top.