"This is the last round," Damon said, leaning in close so Theo couldn't mistake his tone. "You either finish him, or you hand it over to the judges. And you do not want that. Not in a fight this close."
Theo nodded, eyes locked on Damon's. His breathing was steadying, but the tension in his shoulders showed he was still running hot.
"You made two big mistakes that round," Damon continued. "First, you let him start every exchange. You reacted instead of making him react. That's why he got in deep on those takedowns. You can't wait for him, make him work to get to you." He tapped Theo's knee. "Second, you were circling the wrong way when he cut the cage. You circled into his power side twice, and that gave him clean angles for those hooks. Keep moving away from the right hand and force him to reach."
Damon glanced toward Petrov's corner. Ivan was speaking low, gesturing with his hands, probably reinforcing another chain-wrestling sequence. Petrov's chest was still rising heavy.
