MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

"And we are on," Rick said as the bell rang, his excitement palpable as the fighters met in the center of the cage.

"This is going to be an interesting one," Michael chimed in. "Edward Whittaker making his official debut against Luis Ortega. Now, Luis may not be a veteran, but he's got the edge in experience. He's been in the UFA longer, faced the pressure, and come out on the other side."

"Right," Rick agreed. "Ortega's still young, still building himself up, but he's been through the fire. And while he's a grappler at heart, he's shown he can strike when he needs to. That said, I think it's safe to assume his game plan will be to drag this fight to the ground."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"No doubt," Michael replied. "But Edward Whittaker is no slouch. A kickboxing specialist with some serious power. If he can keep this fight standing, he's got a real shot at making a statement tonight. The question is, can he stop Ortega's takedown attempts?"

Rick nodded. "That's what we're here to find out. Let's see how Whittaker handles his debut under the bright lights of the UFA."

Edward and Luis circled each other in the cage. Their moves were quick and steady, and both fighters were ready to set the tone right away.

Edward Whittaker vs. Luis Ortega

The opening seconds of the fight were slow, both men circling in the center of the cage, testing each other's range.

Edward kept his hands high, his footwork light as he moved laterally, keeping Luis Ortega at bay with feints and small steps backward.

Luis, hunched slightly forward in a classic wrestler's stance, kept his gaze locked on Edward's hips.

He moved forward slowly and carefully, getting closer to where he could hit. The tension was obvious.

Edward flicked out a few low leg kicks, testing the waters.

They landed with a sharp thwap against Luis's lead leg, but Luis didn't react.

He absorbed the strikes and continued stalking forward, his eyes calculating.

Rick chimed in. "Edward's trying to establish that range early, but look at Luis, he's not biting on anything. You can tell he's waiting for the right moment to explode."

"Right," Michael added. "Luis Ortega knows his game. He's not going to rush in recklessly. He's waiting for Edward to make a mistake."

Luis darted forward suddenly, throwing a quick one-two combination to close the distance.

Edward leaned back, his head movement slick, avoiding both punches by inches. Luis wasn't done, though.

He immediately shot in for a single-leg takedown, grabbing Edward's left leg and driving forward.

Edward sprawled expertly, planting his hands on Luis's shoulders and using his weight to neutralize the takedown attempt.

With a sharp pivot, he freed his leg and circled back to the center of the cage.

"Beautiful sprawl by Edward Whittaker!" Rick exclaimed. "That's what you want to see from a kickboxer in a fight like this."

Michael nodded. "But look how quickly Luis got back up. He's relentless, you know he's going to keep shooting until one sticks."

Edward reset, staying light on his feet, but this time, he didn't just backpedal.

He took a step forward, throwing a crisp jab that snapped Luis's head back.

Luis flinched but immediately charged in again, ducking under another jab and clinching Edward against the cage.

Now, Luis went to work. He pressed his forehead into Edward's chest, pinning him to the cage with all his weight.

Edward fought to stay upright, planting his feet and digging for underhooks.

Luis shifted his hips, trying to trip Edward to the ground, but Edward countered with a well-timed knee to Luis's ribs.

Luis grunted but didn't let go. Instead, he leaned heavier into the clinch, forcing Edward to carry his weight. It was a grind, but Edward stayed composed.

"This is where Luis Ortega is dangerous," Michael said. "Look at the way he's chaining his attempts. If Edward can't create some space, this is going to be a long night for him."

Edward managed to create a sliver of room, enough to slip an elbow into Luis's temple.

The strike wasn't hard, but it was enough to force Luis to readjust his position. Edward took the opportunity to push Luis off and reset in the center of the cage.

Luis pressed forward again, throwing a wild overhand right.

Edward ducked under it, stepping to the side and countering with a clean left hook that clipped Luis's jaw.

"That was sharp!" Rick said. "Edward's striking is so clean when he finds the space to work."

But Luis didn't give up.

He shook off the hook and lunged forward again, this time throwing a looping left hook into a level change.

Edward reacted quickly, sprawling once more and stuffing the takedown attempt.

As Luis tried to chain into another attempt, Edward stepped back and landed a thunderous leg kick that echoed through the venue.

Luis winced, his left leg buckling slightly before he steadied himself.

Edward saw the reaction and immediately went back to the leg, throwing another hard kick that landed flush.

Luis grimaced, his stance starting to falter as the damage accumulated.

Michael observed, "Those leg kicks are adding up. Luis isn't going to be able to shoot as effectively if Edward keeps chopping him down like that."

Luis, now more cautious, kept his distance for a moment, trying to shake out his battered leg.

Edward, sensing the shift in momentum, moved forward with more confidence, throwing a jab-cross combination that forced Luis to cover up.

Edward wasn't reckless, though. He knew Luis could still explode at any moment.

He maintained his range, landing a few more sharp jabs and punishing leg kicks as Luis struggled to close the distance.

If this were Edward's past, untrained self, he would have already burst forward with a flurry of wild, frantic strikes, desperately trying to overwhelm Luis before the wrestler could close the gap and take him down.

Read new adventures at empire

It was a strategy born of panic, one he used to rely on when faced with pressure.

Back then, it might have worked on less experienced fighters, but it came at a heavy cost, his gas tank.

He would tire himself out within minutes, leaving himself vulnerable and easy prey for someone like Luis.

But this Edward was different.