The day was passing quickly, and the fights had already started.
Damon sat in the waiting area, listening to the silence around him.
He was focused on his own upcoming fight, a bit nervous and excited.
As he waited, Damon found out that coaches were not allowed to coach during the fights.
Fighters would have to rely on their own skills and strategies to win. Damon didn't have a problem with this rule.
He had fought many times without a coach in his corner, and he was confident in his ability to adapt and make decisions on his own.
The fights were scheduled to have two five-minute rounds, with a third round serving as a tiebreaker if necessary.
If the round still couldn't decide on a winner after the third round, the fight would go to a judge's decision.
Damon knew the format very well. He had experienced it first hand.
Suddenly, the door opened, and a fighter made his way out.
He looked disappointed, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Everyone stared at him, their eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and pity.
He didn't look at the other fighters; instead, he kept his head down and made his way out of the building.
He was already wearing his normal clothes, indicating that his fight was over.
The room fell silent once again. Then, a man stuck his head out of the door. "Damon... Cross," he called out.
Damon raised his head, looking up from his thoughts. He stood up, his movements smooth. The man looked around the room, his eyes scanning the faces of the fighters. "Randy Stewart," he called out.
Another fighter stood up, about the same size as Damon. They stared at each other, their eyes locked in a brief moment of intensity.
Damon nodded his head, a slight acknowledgement of his opponent.
He made his way towards the door, his footsteps echoing through the silent room.
As he entered the next room, he saw the familiar sight of the octagon cage.
This was the same room where he had made his weigh-in earlier.
Randy took a different stance. He stood with his feet wider apart, one foot slightly forward, and his hands low.
His elbows were out, and he seemed to be ready for an unconventional boxing approach.
The bell rang, signaling the start of the fight.
Damon moved in with deliberate steps, throwing a low kick aimed at Randy's left leg.
Randy lifted his leg to check the kick, absorbing some of the impact. Damon quickly followed with another low kick to Randy's right leg.
Randy checked that kick too, though he seemed to be having some trouble with Damon's accuracy.
Damon continued to focus on his low kicks, alternating between the inside and outside of Randy's legs.
Each kick landed with a thud, but Randy managed to block or check most of them.
Damon's kicks were precise and controlled, aiming to wear down Randy's defenses.
Randy responded by advancing with a series of jabs, his hands moving rapidly.
Damon blocked the jabs with his forearms and stepped back to avoid getting caught off guard.
Randy threw a right cross, which Damon ducked under, avoiding the punch.
Damon countered with a quick knee to Randy's midsection.
Randy grunted but stayed on his feet. He stepped back, trying to regain his composure.
Damon took advantage of the moment, closing the distance and delivering a number of low kicks to Randy's legs.
Randy seemed to grow frustrated. He tried to switch up his approach by throwing a combination of punches, aiming to overwhelm Damon.
Damon used his footwork to move in and out of range, dodging the punches and landing occasional counter kicks.
Randy's boxing stance and approach appeared less effective against Damon's Muay Thai technique.
Damon continued to target Randy's legs with low kicks, noticing that Randy was starting to favor his right leg.
Randy threw a wild left hook, which Damon ducked and then pivoted to his left to avoid further attacks.
Damon responded with a roundhouse kick to Randy's midsection, which landed with a solid impact. Randy stumbled back, breathing heavily.