MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat-Chapter 552: The Rise of a New King

Outside of family, friends, and teammates celebrating the dawn of Damon's championship reign, there was another wave, maybe just as loud.

The disciples of Cross Era.

Fans. Hardcore. Casuals. Fighters. Analysts. Everyone who had been calling it for months, years even.

And now? They had proof.

Chirper flooded immediately.

Trending worldwide: CROOOOSSSSSS

It wasn't just hype anymore, it was history.

---

@CageMafia:

"CROOOOOOSSSSS ERA OFFICIALLY STARTS. YOU LOVE TO SEE IT."

@realJonMartinezUFA:

"Y'all told me Chemasov was gonna 'smash' him. Damon said bet."

@IrishBloodline:

"FROM STOCKTON STREETS TO WORLD CHAMPION. CROOSSSS ERA FOREVER."

@MMAK1NG:

"This man just out-struck AND out-grappled Chemasov. Cross is HIM."

@BJJTruth:

"Chemasov got Cross'd on the ground. I didn't think I'd ever type that."

---

Memes exploded too.

Photos of Damon sitting on his knees after the fight, head down, edited like a battle-worn king finally claiming his throne.

Pictures of him covered in blood that wasn't even his, captioned:

"Chemasov bled so Cross could reign."

The post-fight interview was clipped everywhere.

"WELCOME TO THE CROSS ERA" had become a war cry online.

And what made it better?

Nobody could deny it.

Nobody could debate it.

Nobody could stop it.

Damon Cross was the king now.

And this... this was just the beginning.

The reaction was everything you'd expect from a fight this big.

Many loved it.

Fighters, coaches, analysts, they were all in awe of what they just witnessed.

---

@KnockdownPod:

"Damon Cross just dominated a man people swore couldn't be dominated. Striking? Superior. Grappling? Superior. Fight IQ? Levels above. That wasn't just a win, that was a statement."

@UFAonPoint:

"I don't care what anyone says, that was a masterclass. Cross ERA IS HERE."

@JamesJonas (former youngest champ):

"Gotta respect it. New king did it the hard way."

---

But not everyone was happy.

Some fans were furious, not just Chemasov loyalists, but gamblers, trolls, and people who just hated seeing greatness.

---

@BetBroke101:

"Damon Cross is a scam artist bro. I put my life savings on Chemasov. I hope Cross slips on blood and dies of a heart attack."

@Wrestle4Life:

"This fight was rigged. There's no way Chemasov got dominated like that naturally. Ref shoulda DQ'd Cross for breathing too good."

@DagestanSmasher:

"Chemasov was robbed. Damon's fake humble. I hope they run it back and my guy tears him in half."

---

Then there were the neutral voices, and of course, PDD fans pushing for their boy.

@DDPWarriors:

"Cool win for Cross. But he still gotta face the real boogeyman. Give us Damon vs PDD."

But they were instantly met with Damon fans, in true Cross Era fashion.

@CrossCult:

"Bro y'all champ lost to a failed Russian Sambo Finalist. Sit this one out."

@CROSSOVER:

"PDD couldn't beat a grappler with 2 months cardio and y'all want him to fight a man who just out-wrestled Chemasov? Stinky behavior."

@IrishReaper:

"Let PDD fight Chemasov again or something before crying for rematches."

---

The internet was on fire.

But one thing was clear to everyone...

Love him. Hate him. Fear him.

Damon Cross was unavoidable now.

This was his era.

The Cross Era.

It was a happy night for everyone, but no one more than Damon himself.

The moment he arrived backstage, still wearing the belt around his waist, towel over his neck, surrounded by officials and camera flashes, he spotted familiar faces waiting past the security line.

Joey, Ash, Edward, and Ty had managed to get through, guided by one of Victor's assistants. They didn't wait for any cue, the second Damon stepped through, they swarmed him.

Joey was the loudest, of course.

"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!" Joey yelled, grabbing Damon in a hug that was half tackle, half headlock. "WORLD FUCKIN' CHAMP!"

Ash stood next to them shaking his head with that cocky grin. "Bro… twenty-one and oh… I knew you were sick, but damn," he whistled. "Might need to check your DNA."

Edward, ever the quiet one, just bumped fists with him but had a rare small grin. "Different level," he said.

Ty clapped that big hand over Damon's shoulder, nearly shaking him. "Monster, bro. Monster."

Damon chuckled, still riding the buzz, still feeling like none of this was fully real yet.

"You boys loud as hell," Damon laughed. "Security looked like they were about to jump y'all."

Joey waved it off. "Please, I would've fought security tonight for this. This is history."

Ash leaned in, pointing at the belt. "Yo, I ain't gon' lie… this looks way better on you than that tournament medal ever did."

Damon shook his head, grinning, "Y'all are stupid."

But he loved it.

This? This was family.

Fighting was his life.

But these people… this was his world.

Damon looked at them, a wide grin breaking through his tired face, that glow of victory still fresh in his eyes. "Well boys..." He raised his arms slightly, voice playful but full of that championship energy. "Who's ready for a night of fun!!"

The room erupted in laughs and hype energy, Ash throwing his hands up like he'd just won the belt himself, "Oh you already KNOW!" Ty let out one of his rare deep chuckles, shaking his head. Edward smirked like always, calm but clearly down, and Joey just clapped his hands once, the proud big-brother vibe all over him.

Victor, leaning casually near the door, just shook his head, smiling. Watching them like a proud old lion watching his cubs act wild.

This was Damon's moment. A young king surrounded by his boys, about to celebrate a dream realized.

But Victor also knew, duty never really ended.

He pushed off the wall, walking toward Damon, the room's energy settling as the veteran voice entered.

Victor slid an arm around Damon's shoulder, pulling him in with that rare but always genuine laugh. "Haha... good job, kid." His tone softened for just a second, pride dripping in every word. "But fun's gotta wait, gotta go do your post-fight stuff first."

Damon chuckled, exhaling sharp through his nose, "Yeah, yeah, I know."

Victor gestured towards the small table nearby, where Damon's phone sat flipped over, screen still faintly lighting up from the countless buzzes.

"You should check your phone too," Victor added casually, giving his shoulder a pat. "Been buzzing since I came in here... Might be pregnant by now with all those damn vibrations."

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That made Damon snort a laugh, shaking his head as he walked over.

When he flipped the phone over?

Notifications drowned the screen.

Missed calls.

Texts.

Voicemails.

Mentions.

Socials blowing up.

From Svetlana.

From his mother.

From Ashley.

From Macey.

From the world.

The life of a champion.