Fighter Ch. 03

"You're done tramp." her opponent said smiling darkly.

Anna said nothing as she raised her gloves to tap, but the woman spat at the floor and walked away. Anna smiled darkly as she walked backwards not once taking her eyes from the bitch. The referee asked them both if they were ready and then clapped his hands and the fight was on.

The woman came right at Anna like a bull. She went low and charged forth hoping to get Anna quickly with a double leg take down. Anna saw her coming and as her opponent dipped her head she sprang into the air and her knee shot forwards striking the woman on the bridge of the nose. Anna felt the crunch of her nose breaking then felt a warm flush as blood poured out onto her leg. The woman reeled backwards and Anna pounced. The woman fell backwards to the floor with a thud as Anna got on top of her. Quickly Anna got a top mount on her and the blows rained down like a lightning storm. Each shot hit the woman dead in her exposed face and before the referee could get in she had hit her seven times! The referee frantically pulled Anna off her and the fight was over. The crowd was stunned at the ferocity and for a second they were dead quiet. The eerie silence was shattered when Anna ran to the cage wall and jumped to the top of it. As Anna crested the cage the crowd went wild with glee. Just like that it was over and the crowd was screaming for more.

Anna hopped down to Marcus' waiting arms and he laughed as he grabbed her and snatched her up in his arms. She laughed proudly as she hugged him tightly. One more to go and she had a trophy to take home. Christian was deeply impressed by the sudden and quick victory over Anna's opponent. He had watched the woman try that risky take down. He had always been warned never go right for the legs unless the opponent is a poor striker. He was stunned to see her go right at Anna and duck low like she did, but he also saw Anna was watching her like a hawk. When Anna saw the shoulder dip that was it. His little sister was really good and it showed by the stunning win. Christian hoped in his title fight he could do half as good as she had done in the last two days. He hugged her and she laughed in his arms. The opponent was taken to the back for medical help while Anna was announced the winner and the fighter that was to be sent to the finals. After the quick interview with the announcer Anna posed for a picture for the blog and was led to the back by Christian. As the convoy retreated to the back Marcus was called aside by Nick.

Nick led his friend to a secluded spot for their meeting. Nick was all smiles as they found a concession stand. He reached in his coat and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. As he unfolded it Marcus saw it for what it was. It was a letter of notice.

"Well Marcus my friend, we scored the venue at the Palms in Vegas for Anna's fight against Mijah!" he said crowing over the coup.

Marcus was shocked! The Palms, he knew, held a lot of good MMA fights as did the Mandalay Bay. He was eager to watch Anna in the big venue and now it was going to happen. Christian's fight was also going to be there on the same night. He smiled as he realized that being in Vegas once again meant that he could drop in on a few old friends. Marcus came to a very quick decision and that is, if he wanted them to be ready for the fight in Vegas then they should train in Vegas. He knew a lot of fighters that trained there and they were some of the best anywhere as Vegas was the Mecca of a lot of the elite fighting organizers. He slapped Nick's back and laughed happily.

"Well now, it looks like I got my work cut out for me." Marcus said smiling. When he made to leave Nick stopped him.

"Mijah is not gonna go easy on her you know," he warned.

"I'm not worried about that. Did you see what she just did? Becky Laurel stood no chance against her for fuck's sake, and she was the odds on favorite to win! Mijah better watch her back." Marcus said, a confident grin on his face.

Nick laughed aloud and shook his head as Marcus walked to the trainer's room. He knew this little girl was good. Hell she might even be great. Nick knew he needed to sign her to his label and soon to make the big bucks. It wasn't that she was just a good fighter, she was a hottie that would make a good draw for women's MMA. He licked his lips as he thought of making her front page news. Then he thought of men's magazines doing photo shoots with her. He knew that would make some serious money. He'd had Mijah do a spread in a MMA magazine and it was a very popular issue. He knew if Anna did one it would sell out. He laughed as he thought of the feisty little Annabelle Melendez and her earning potential.

Marcus had no idea the depths his friend would sink. Marcus realized there was a market for good looking fighters, but he had never wanted anything but Anna's skills to be her determining factor. He strode back confident that Anna had the tourney in the bag. She had just stopped the hardest fight in his eyes and in less than twenty seconds to boot. Smiling a knowing smile about Anna's chances Marcus knew that the next victim was going to be a cake walk in comparison. He couldn't believe how badly Becky had telegraphed her intended moves to Anna. It seemed like she was almost throwing the fight. At that notion he perked his head up. He felt very leery suddenly and as he walked to the back he got a cold feeling in his gut.

Marcus quickened his pace back to the locker room. When he had been in Thailand he recalled how the fighters there lived in fear of the gangsters. He knew there was an element of corruption in fighting, because he had seen it first-hand. A young fighter that showed a lot of promise was told to take a dive from the gangsters so that they could rig the betting tables. He had even seen one fighter approached and when he refused he was threatened with castration by a gang of thugs. Marcus watched in horror as the gang attacked the young fighter and took him to his knees. But when one of them produced a knife, Marcus saved him from a rough fate by walking by and playing a drunken American tourist. The thugs had let their guard down and the fighter was able to get his footing and fight back. Marcus aided the youngster and together they beat the assailants down to a pulp. It was shortly after that Marcus left Thailand for good. He knew that even in the States there was an element of corruption in the organizations. He only hoped this venue was low key enough to be shielded by it. Then again he also trusted his gut feeling when it came to cold feelings. As he made it to the locker room he saw Anna stretching with Christian and he felt relief.

He looked to Christian and asked, "Has anyone been in here aside from you and her?"

"No sir" Christian replied in confusion.

Marcus relaxed a little, but he still felt uneasy. He decided to stay with Anna for the rest of the tournament. He and Christian did her cool downs and after she was lounging comfortably Marcus had him go for some Gatorade. When he left Anna noticed Marcus' eyes and they showed concern. She padded over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Coach, what's wrong?" she asked timidly.

"Nothing...nothing." he said when he realized how harshly he'd said it the first time.

Anna looked scared and Marcus realized he had just worried her. He sighed and patted his lap invitingly. She happily plopped in it and put her arms around his neck. She leaned against his chest and purred happily. He stroked her legs and she giggled as the goose bumps traveled up them. Marcus wanted to hold her and protect her from what he knew was the ugly side of the sport, however he knew that she was an adult that could make up her own mind. If she felt that her career would include being a showpiece, which he hoped against, he would continue to support her. Marcus put aside all his concerns and simply hugged her to him, relishing the softness of her skin against his body. While he held her Marcus realized how lucky he was to have a woman like her in his life now. For a long time he was without any comfort in the world, but now he not only had comfort, he had love. He was still holding her when she nodded off on him. She was asleep in his arms and he smiled happily at the sight. The fight was so quick it didn't even get her adrenaline flowing.

Marcus sat back in thought about the plus side of any publicity she got. It would help his gym and maybe give his fighters more recognition. He could only hope that Christian could win his fight. He knew that if he had them both winning tournaments and titles he could solidify his gym and maybe expand into other areas. He stroked her hair as she napped in his arms and pondered the future. His mind processed many plans and theories, but in the end his thoughts kept returning to just him and her. His optimum outcome would be if they stayed together for a long time. He only hoped she loved him still in a few years. The more he thought the more he realized there was a chance for them and he smiled at that. He looked at the clock and didn't realize that three hours had gone by. He shook Anna and she opened her eyes. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep and when she saw the time she giggled.

"Why did you let me sleep so long coach?" she asked while stretching and yawning.

"Because I could. And you looked too cute to wake up." he replied while brushing her hair behind her ear.

Anna sat up and yawned again. He tilted her chin after she did and kissed her lips softly then patted her hips. She bounced out of the chair and went to the bathroom. Marcus knew that deep down she was going to be fine in the ring. He got up slowly and took a step forward and fell over. He laughed loudly as he hit the floor flat on his stomach. Anna heard the laughter and came out to investigate only to see him on his stomach trying to get up.

"Coach?" she asked concerned by his new position on the floor.

"It's OK Anna. My leg just fell asleep is all." he said laughing.

"Are you saying I have a big ass, coach?" she asked sounding miffed.

"No you have a beautiful one. Just you sat in my lap for three hours and I didn't move." he said while stumbling to his feet.

Anna let it go, grinning while she watched him struggle to his feet. She went back to the bathroom and started the shower. As she stripped down she laughed to herself as she thought about Marcus. She washed her body and felt herself getting into the groove. She washed down and felt her body loosen up in the hot spray. She tilted her head back and felt her bones creaking into place. She rolled her shoulders and the water helped her body settle down. Her legs released the tension in them as she did a few side steps and before long her body was ready to go.

Marcus was able to walk it off and got himself to the trainer's table. He drank a bit of water and soon his leg stopped throbbing. He laughed at Anna's defiance to her being the cause of his dead leg, but he knew she was just being cute. Deep down he loved the way she was so damn adorable. Anna had always amazed him by how she balanced cute and sex appeal. She definitely turned heads as she trained in the gym. Marcus knew that a lot of men there loved to watch her as much as they had come to train, but the fact was she was his now. He smiled at that pleasant thought. He had thought of her for a while when the tension had first began to build between them. He remembered how hard he came when he masturbated to thoughts of her and it was nothing compared to how good he felt actually being with her. He pulled himself from his thoughts and Anna came in wearing her athletic bra and shorts.

She hopped up on the table and he set to working, giggling as he tickled her foot and which helped her to relax. He taped them tight and when he was done she went through her warm ups. The routine was comfortable and soon Anna was glowing. Her head was filled with his instructions as Christian came in. He had on the pads and they went over the jab and kick drills. He worked her hard as this was it. This was the culmination of all her efforts. Here and now she would either hold her hand up in victory or she would be on the way out in defeat. She felt nothing as her body reacted to what her eyes saw. Nothing else mattered to her at that moment and she concentrated on nothing but breathing.

Marcus saw that she was ready. This was the moment she would validate him as her coach to the world. He looked at the clock and tapped her arm and she turned to him. She hugged him hard and he hugged her close.

"This is it baby. No turning back. Do what I have taught you and what you can do and you got this. Time to shine baby." he said softly. She nodded her head and he remembered an old saying a hockey coach once said to his team to inspire them to greatness.

"Remember honey; Great moments are born from great opportunities."

Anna knew that saying well as it was in bold letters over the gym. She looked at him and smiled intensely. She was here and going to make him proud. Her mind resolved to do what she had to do. Feeling the center of her being Anna took a deep breath exhaled then walked out with a purpose. Her determination set in as she walked down the hallway. Along the way Anna saw the officials and they simply blurred by her as her focus became more intense and narrow. She heard some jumbling of music, but couldn't tell what it was. When she got to the ramp going to the ring she heard the muffled roar of the crowd. She didn't so much hear it as she felt it, becoming lost in her own focus. Breathing slowly Anna walked down the aisle and the crowd erupted at her passing. Her eyes were focused on the girl in the ring and nothing else. The referee went over the outside rules and regulations and she nodded absently as he did, hearing him as if from a distance.

As she entered the cage she went through her routine by reflex; circling the ring in order to gauge the distance and to loosen up. After a full circuit she settled in her corner. She cracked her neck and leaned against the metal of the cage as Marcus yelled instructions to her. From watching her opponents tapes Anna knew this woman had a strong kickboxing background and a weak wrestling ability, but she didn't care. To her she was nothing but another victim. Anna's focus narrowed entirely on what it was she had to do. As they touched gloves Anna's eyes never left hers. The look that passed between the two combatants was one of almost pure electric current.

Anna retreated to her corner and held her gaze on the woman and as she bit down on her mouth guard she heard Marcus yelling at her.

"Time to shine, baby!"

She grimly nodded her head and heard the sound that finally brought reality crashing to life around her. With the ringing of the bell, Anna leaped forward. The two opponents tapped gloves and immediately started to jab and short kick at each other. Anna was shorter by a few inches, but her range of motion was nearly equal to her opponents. They danced and kicked at each other and the crowd's enthusiasm was building in intensity. Both had fought very hard to get to the finals and neither was going to make a crude mistake only lose quickly.

They traded a few solid hits but after a few minutes the crowd started to get restless. Anna heard the jeers and boos as the crowd protested the lack of energy in this round than what had appeared in the other fights. With an almost flamboyantly tilt of her head, Anna smiled at the girl and feigned a high punch only to lash out at her with a back spinning kick that hit her in the midsection. The crowd cheered at that one, but the rest of the round was a relatively dull affair.

Anna retreated to her corner after the bell and Marcus was there. A good solid effort at keeping the girl at bay and he knew that in the next round he would need Anna to be more aggressive. He coached her up and had her ready to go on the offensive. Marcus realized that was exactly what the other girl's coach wanted, so he'd be polite and give it to them.

"Anna, go after this hooker. Don't be polite. Break her at any opening!" he barked at her and Anna felt the anger in her well up.

They got ready and the bell sounded for the second round. Anna went right after her this time. Anna snapped a few hard leg kicks at her and a few solid jabs that connected. She was pacing her, but keeping up the pressure. Anna saw an opening and a right cross sailed in and struck the girl below the eye. She rocked back and Anna pounced. Ducking under a wild hook Anna grabbed her legs and twisted them turning the woman sideways. The woman tried to grab the cage to stop her fall, but it was too late and to the floor they went. Anna and her opponent grappled for a long few minutes as they jostled and traded punches for position. Anna got a good mount, but not a good angle on her opponent. Quickly she set up and proceeded to send punches into the girl's head and gloves. Anna didn't meet with all of her punches, but the ones she did definitely did damage. As the bell sounded Anna saw the woman had a trail of blood coming from the corner of her eye.

"Good round honey! You are easily up two. Keep at her and don't let up on her. She is going to be desperate in this round so watch for her offense and counter at any point. You got his baby girl!" Marcus growled to her and she bit down on the mouth guard.

The bell rang and they engaged yet again. Anna was really glad for all the cardio she'd had to do as part of her training. The miles coach had her run made the exertion of three rounds seem easy. She was still a bit tired, but not as bad as she would have been had she not been used to the cardio. She paced the girl and coach was right. The woman came at her hard, trying desperately to catch up. Anna took a few hits to the head and side. She shrugged them off and delivered a huge uppercut to the girls jaw. The hit snapped her head back and again Anna snatched her legs and took her down. This time she had a better position as they fell to the ground. On instinct Anna snaked her body along the woman's, trying to find a grip. Her opponent fought valiantly to keep Anna's grip from her arm.

For a good twenty seconds Anna held the woman's wrist and finally she found her angle. Twisting them to a kneeling position, Anna baited the trap. The woman desperately tried to get her feet under her and to avoid Anna's ground game. The woman got her feet under her and that was it. Falling backwards Anna tore the woman over her and snaked her legs around the woman's neck. She kept the woman's arm pinned between her legs and rolled over to her stomach catching her opponent in a triangle choke. Anna held on and squeezed as hard as she could. Anna's opponent quickly found out she had been duped when the iron vice found her neck. Desperate for leverage she tried to move to a standing position, but then the twist happened and she went to her stomach with no way to break the hold. The crowd roared when they saw the turn of fortune and suddenly they saw the frantic tapping of the opponent's hand and the crowd erupted. Anna felt the referee slap her legs to make her break the hold and the roar of the crowd was deafening as she stayed on her back and raised her hands up over her body.

She had won!

Marcus watched from the side of the ring as Anna did the risky move. He saw her fall back and latch her legs around the neck and shoulder of the woman and squeeze like a viper. When he saw that, he had gone up on the lip of the ring yelling at Anna to turn and lock. When she did he cheered her on and yelled at her to roll. It was a long agonizing second, but she did and he jumped for joy. Christian hugged him and shouted in Portuguese for her to squeeze and then he saw the referee slap Anna's thigh. Christian bounded up and over the cage and into the ring to snatch her up. Marcus went into the cage as it opened and rushed to Anna.