Damon bounced as the horn sounded in his ear, feeling every inch of the mat beneath his feet.
He kept his focus locked on Jon, who mirrored his intensity, eyes narrowed and jaw set.
The crowd roared around them, but it all faded into the background. In that moment, there was nothing else, just him, Jon, and the cage.
He started with a sharp jab, testing the distance.
Jon caught it on his glove, responding immediately with a heavy leg kick that thumped into Damon's thigh. Damon didn't flinch.
He pushed forward, snapping another jab into Jon's guard, then pivoting off the angle to stay out of range of Jon's power shots.
Jon pressed in, throwing a short combination, left hook, right cross, heavy punches that Damon had to respect.
Damon dipped low, rolling under the hook and coming back up with a short uppercut that just grazed Jon's chin.
