125 One Step Away from the Final

"Dash, I'm going to tattoo your damn name; that fight was incredible!"

As Dash walked back to his seat, Santiago exclaimed very excited about the victory they had just achieved.

"Do you think I can use bandages?" Dash looked at some of his bruised knuckles and asked while several people took care of helping him recover.

Santiago looked at other competitors and said, "There won't be any problem. As you mentioned, your knuckles have been trained, that's why no one suggested you wear gloves."

At this moment, with the first quarter-final fight over and the audience excited, the second fight immediately began, which was just as brutal as the previous one.

The first fight was Wei Chen, who would be Dash's next opponent if he made it to the semifinals. His fighting style was fast, as expected from Kung Fu, and at first glance, it seemed like watching Cheng in his movements.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Did he just break his arm?"

"That lunatic..."

"For God's sake, Dash, I wouldn't blame you if you surrendered now before facing that monster..." Santiago sympathized with Dash, who was very calm, observing Wei Chen in case he discovered something.

"Surrender? I might break a bone; it's not that bad. But at least I believe I have the level to face him..." Dash wasn't sure; that opponent was incredibly superior, and he knew perfectly well that being limited by his injuries made the fight even more complicated.

In front of Dash, the fights kept going on until one, in particular, caught the attention of the entire audience. The fighters who both handled Muay Thai fell to the ground after connecting two brutal blows to each other's heads. Neither showed signs of getting up, and at that moment, the countdown began.

Of course, what made Dash and his group wonder what would happen next left them speechless. If both competitors were disqualified, that meant there would be a fighter without an opponent in the semifinal, and that wouldn't be fair in many ways.

"Neither will get up..." Dash looked at both fighters on the ground and shook his head.

Santiago's expression became even more somber; this wasn't good for the fights because things could change in a direction they didn't have control over. He knew this tournament had no rules, so a final could well change after such an unexpected result.

"What will happen now?" Elliot didn't understand anything about this tournament, but from what he had seen, it was very different from the others. Not only was it subject to changes, but there were also fights that developed in completely unprecedented ways.

Santiago, who was thinking, muttered, "Even if we know the answer, we won't be able to do anything. With two competitors out, things have become very complicated for us..."

"It's useless to worry; let's first see what the organizers will do." Dash nodded slightly at this response. His gaze slid over all the balconies in the place where the VIPs were; many of them were puzzled by this disappointing result.

But what Dash was looking for in watching them was to know what they thought. Many were discussing heatedly, and after a few minutes of removing the fighters who didn't get up, they came to an answer.

"That fight has been brutal; it's a shame that neither could stand up. But for the sake of the competition, a tough discussion has taken place, and we have decided that the last three finalists will fight each other in a three-way match."

"Same rules, only one winner, and the last fight before we know who will be the last fighter in the semifinal."

The host, after announcing another change in the last fight, made it clear that the remaining three fighters would fight each other to determine the winner.

"Listen carefully, Dash; surrender if you see both fighters attacking you at the same time..." Santiago, who was sweating cold, frowned at the serious disadvantages of this sudden change.

"I understand."

"It's not a joke; if both decide to attack you, no matter how good you are, you only have one who is in his twenties... They surpass twenty years of age, so in experience and strength, they will be far superior to you. Even if you're in perfect condition, you must consider when to surrender."

"Don't worry, I'll keep that in mind." Dash nodded slightly in response after hearing the warnings. He knew perfectly well that this wasn't a fair fight for anyone; many things could happen, and he decided not to consider this fight as an official one in his undefeated career.

Now, in a fight where the three fighters are enemies, things could get a bit curious. It needed to be known first who is the strongest to then go after him. The problem comes when there is no awareness of that.

"We should go for Wei Chen..." This thought crossed Dash's mind for a few brief seconds.

The other standout fighter, who surely would win, is called Rafael Gutierrez and is from Brazil. He handles mixed martial arts very well and has won so far through good combat skills, although he is not at Wei Chen's level.

"Ahhhh!"

Looking at the combat arena, Rafael finished the fight with a powerful kick to his opponent's ribs and quickly crowned himself as the last finalist.

"We have ten minutes of rest; let's think of a strategy..." Santiago, who wouldn't fight, was the one most nervous along with Dash; that old man is indeed a very peculiar person.