MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat - Chapter 818

Chapter 818: Chapter 818: Bad Blood

The referee brought both fighters to the center of the cage. The crowd quieted, the spotlight fixed on the two men as the ref raised his voice over the noise.

“Alright, gentlemen, this is three rounds in the middleweight division. You know the rules, protect yourselves at all times, listen to my commands at all times. If you want to touch gloves, do it now, and go back to your corners.”

José Alvarez extended his hand without hesitation, his expression calm and focused.

Chase looked down at it, smirked, then tapped him lightly on the chest instead of the glove, mouthing something under his breath before backing away.

The crowd erupted in a mix of boos and cheers, the tension sparking immediately.

Jim Logan reacted on commentary. “Ohhh, look at that. Chase refusing the glove touch, he’s here to send a message.”

Damian Kormier chuckled. “Yeah, that’s Chase, man. Always trying to get in your head before the fight even starts.”

Nix added, steady as ever. “José’s not the type to get rattled. If anything, this might just fuel him. But Chase knows what he’s doing, he wants to set the tone early.”

Both men turned back to their corners, eyes never leaving each other. The ref signaled to the timekeeper, the horn blared, and the fight was ready to begin.

The referee glanced to each corner, double-checking both men were ready. He raised his hands.

“Ready? … Ready? … Let’s fight!”

The bell rang, and the crowd erupted.

José came forward immediately, his guard high, testing the distance with a jab before dropping levels for a feint.

Chase smirked, hands low, bouncing on his toes as he circled. He flicked a kick to the body, light but sharp, then snapped a jab in return.

Jim Logan leaned in. “Here we go, José already looking to close distance, and Chase showing that confidence early.”

José ducked under a looping right, clinched, and pressed Chase against the fence. The crowd roared as he dug in for control.

Damian Kormier’s voice picked up. “That’s José’s world right there. He wants to drag this fight into the grind, make Chase work.”

Chase tried to peel him off, grinning through it, whispering something in José’s ear before shoving back with a forearm to create space.

He spun off the cage and landed a sharp left hook that clipped José on the chin.

Nix jumped in. “And that’s the danger, Chase only needs a little space, and he can fire something fast.”

The pace was set. It was grind versus explosion, and neither man was backing down.

The first minute belonged to pressure. José walked Chase down with that calm, menacing patience.

His guard was high, chin tucked, every step measured. He snapped a heavy leg kick early, the thud echoing through the arena, forcing Chase to switch stances.

Chase grinned, bouncing on his toes, hands low. He feinted, swayed his head side to side, then suddenly darted forward with a switch knee.

José blocked with his forearm, but Chase spun off it, firing a spinning back kick that just missed the ribs. The crowd roared.

Jim Logan laughed on commentary. “Oh, here we go! That’s the creativity of Chase Dunham, he’ll throw everything at you!”

But José didn’t flinch. He stepped forward like a machine, stalking Chase down.

A stiff jab landed flush, snapping Chase’s head back, then a left hook dug to the body.

Chase’s grin faded for a moment as he backed up, his footwork loose, trying to create distance again.

Damian Kormier cut in. “Yeah, but look at José, he’s composed. Every strike is heavy. He’s not wasting energy. When he throws, it’s with bad intentions.”

Chase reset, suddenly exploding into a blitz of strikes, jab, cross, spinning backfist.

The first two missed, but the spinning shot grazed José’s temple, enough to make the crowd gasp. José responded instantly with a thudding leg kick that buckled Chase’s stance.

Nix kept it calm. “That’s the tradeoff. Chase can be spectacular, but every time he misses, José punishes him.”

The round heated up fast. Chase danced at range, hands dangling, throwing teeps and side kicks like a showman, frustrating José.

But José kept walking forward, his eyes locked, waiting for the right moment.

And when Chase got too close, José unleashed a straight right down the pipe that landed flush, rocking Chase’s head back.

The crowd erupted.

“Big shot!” Jim Logan shouted. “José cracked him with that right hand!”

Chase stumbled, but he didn’t run. Instead, he waved José in, sticking his tongue out before firing a jumping knee. It clipped José’s chest but not the chin.

The two fighters crashed into a clinch, José landing a brutal short elbow over the top. Blood trickled instantly from Chase’s eyebrow.

Damian’s voice rose. “That elbow split him! José’s got power in every strike!”

The referee watched closely as the fighters separated. Chase touched the cut, saw the blood, and smiled.

He stepped sideways, then suddenly burst into a spinning heel kick that grazed José’s guard, the crowd gasping again.

Nix was sharp. “That’s what makes Chase dangerous. Even hurt, even cut, he’s unpredictable. At any second, he can land something that changes the fight.”

The final minute of Round 1 turned into a spectacle.

José landed another punishing leg kick, Chase answered with a flying knee attempt.

José caught him mid-air, dumped him to the mat, and tried to follow with ground-and-pound, but Chase rolled slickly, scrambling back to his feet with a flashy spin and reset.

The crowd erupted as José Alvarez snatched Chase mid-air and slammed him onto the mat.

Gasps and shouts filled the arena, no one expected José, known for his striking, to time such a move so cleanly.

Jim Logan nearly jumped out of his chair. “Ohhh! Are you kidding me?! José just caught him out of the air! That’s not even his game, and he made it look easy!”

Damian Kormier was laughing in disbelief. “Man, that’s insane! José isn’t a grappler, he’s not a wrestler, but that was pure instincts. That’s timing, that’s power. Chase went flying!”

Nix, more measured, chimed in. “And it shows how dangerous José really is. He’s not just a striker, you make one mistake, and he’ll make you pay anywhere. That’s a huge moment in this round.”

The bell rang to end the round, and both men stared at each other on their way back to their corners, José calm, Chase grinning, both ready for more.