MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat-Chapter 725: Morning Routine

Morning came faster than expected.

Damon woke up early, before the alarm, like always. The sky outside was still dim, with just a little light breaking through the blinds.

He sat up, ran a hand over his face, and let out a quiet breath. His body still carried the edge of yesterday’s meetings, but mentally, he was already locked in.

He stood, walked over to the sink, and washed his face with cold water.

After brushing his teeth, he changed into his training clothes and did a few warm-up stretches on the floor, nothing heavy, just enough to loosen his hips and shoulders.

He checked his phone. He had no missed calls. A few notifications from the UFA. He swiped them away and tapped on the one name that mattered most.

Svetlana.

The call rang once. Twice.

Then her voice came through, soft and half-asleep. "Morning, coach."

Damon smiled. "Hey. You sound cozy."

"I am. Ava stole all the blankets again."

"In her defense, she’s built like her mom. Can’t sleep without being wrapped in something."

Svetlana laughed softly. He could picture it, her lying on the bed with Ava curled up beside her, blankets all over the place, hair a mess, phone in one hand, probably rubbing her belly with the other.

"You sound awake," she said. "First day?"

"Yeah. Just finished stretching. Gonna head to the gym in a bit. Thought I’d check on my girls first."

"We’re good," she said. "Ava’s still asleep. Kicked me twice in her sleep, though. She’s getting stronger."

Damon sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward, elbow on his knee. "And the little one still treating you okay?"

"Besides making me eat at 2 a.m. and cry over cereal commercials, yes."

He chuckled. "So, normal?"

"Very."

There was a quiet pause, just a few seconds where neither of them said anything. It wasn’t awkward. It was familiar. Comfortable.

"I miss you," she said.

"Miss you too," Damon replied. "Wish you were here."

"Me too. But you’re doing good. Just remember to breathe sometimes. Don’t coach yourself harder than you coach them."

"I’ll try," he said.

She yawned on the other end. "Call me after training?"

"Always."

"Love you."

"Love you more."

He ended the call and stood up, rolling his shoulders back. Whatever stress he had carried into the morning now sat lighter.

It was time to start the day.

Damon left his room dressed in his usual UFA hoodie and joggers. As he stepped out, he passed the assistant coaches in the hallway.

"I’ll meet you guys at the gym," he said. "I’m going to grab the team."

They nodded, already prepping equipment and gear.

He headed out to the parking lot and climbed into the black van waiting outside.

The driver gave him a quick nod before pulling off toward the fighter house. Damon sat quietly for most of the ride, checking his phone once, then locking the screen and pocketing it.

As they turned the final corner and the house came into view, he sat up straighter.

The van parked. Damon stepped out and didn’t wait.

He walked straight to the front door and let himself in without knocking. The house was quiet. A few fighters were in the kitchen. Someone was just coming down the stairs.

Damon clapped his hands loud and let his voice carry through the house.

"Let’s go! Up! Team Damon, let’s move!"

One of the lightweights flinched at the volume. Max, still halfway into a protein bar, turned quickly and grabbed his gym bag. Ronny stepped out of the hallway, already dressed, nodding as he strapped on his hoodie.

Damon didn’t slow down.

"I said get your gear and get moving! If you’re not in the van in five minutes, I’ll find someone who wants to be here more."

He wasn’t joking. He didn’t need to shout again.

Shoes started hitting the floor. Zippers opened. Bottles filled. The energy shifted immediately as his team scrambled into action.

Damon walked back outside, stood by the van, and waited with his arms folded.

Inside the van, Damon sat near the front, turned slightly to face his team as they loaded in one by one.

The doors slid shut, and the driver pulled off. The tension from earlier was gone. Now it was about setting the tone.

Damon kept his voice steady, not yelling, but direct.

"Alright. First full day. Here’s how it’s going to go."

Everyone looked at him. Some still looked half-awake. Others were already locked in.

"You’re gonna be working with each other today. Since there are four of you in each division, you’ll rotate sparring partners. Light contact. Just enough to show how you move. I’m not looking for knockouts, I’m looking for habits. How you enter. How you defend. How you respond to pressure."

He scanned the group briefly. Ronny sat up front, calm as always. Max leaned forward, listening closely. Kaito and Elias sat in the back, both nodding slowly, along with the other members.

"This isn’t about winning rounds. It’s about figuring out who you are in there. Some of you probably think you’re great already. Good. We’ll see what that looks like when someone’s moving at you with different timing."

He let that sit for a second, then added, "We’ll also start noting matchups. See who makes sense to fight early. You all want to prove something, this is where it starts."

He leaned back slightly.

"How was your first night at the house?"

Ronny answered first. "Quiet. Mostly chill. No drama yet."

Max gave a small shrug. "Same. Everyone’s just feeling it out."

Kaito spoke for the first time. "Good space. Clean. I stayed out of the way."

Elias nodded once. "Nothing to complain about."

Damon listened without interrupting.

"Good," he said. "Keep it that way as long as you can. It doesn’t stay calm forever, but that’s not your job to worry about. Your job is to train, listen, and get better."

The van kept rolling toward the gym.

Training was up next. And now it was time to see who meant what they said during tryouts.

This content is taken from free web nov𝒆l.com