“The End of One Begins Another
Every Transition Starts At The Heart.”
The audio is loud and clear. A strong heart. A brave heart. You can only hear it.
‘Thumpthump-thump-thump’
The heart, vital, necessary. Without it, we can not function and with it we are alive. We are dependent on blood being pumped around to our internal organs to survive. We say so many things come from the heart. Our thoughts, our wants. The beginning and end of so many things, at the heart.
‘Thumpthump-thump-thump’
Ever notice you never check your heart until it’s in danger? Until it needs monitoring?
‘Thumpthump-thump-thump’
The itchy band put around your arm to check your heart rate at the doctors. Back in the day, you might have put your hand over your heart for the Pledge of Allegiance in school, but that wasn’t for checking anything. The only time you check the condition for what keeps you on this earth is when you are pulling the George Jefferson. “I’m coming Elizabeth! It’s the Big One!” As funny as the legendary Redd Foxx made a heart attack look on Sanford and Son, there’s a seriousness to it. It’s a coat check. It causes the pearl clutch. It’s an attack on everything you know to be normal. It forces transition. You must adjust or you become casket sharp.
‘Thumpthump-thump-thump’
When it comes to the body of MMA, Daniel Fisk has stood for 5 years observing as the hearts of others are attacked. He’s witnessed the hearts of companies, gyms, and fighters all over the world going code blue inside the emergency rooms. He watched as his mentor, MMA/Boxing legend James Shark lose control of his creation to the point no defibrillator in the world could spark his heart for the day to day again. A heart that was unable to adapt. Death.
‘Th-Thump-Th-Thumthump’
National Fighting Alliance. The Everest of Macto Legion Championship. He was the heart attack to everyone on the roster. Matt Zacher. Demetrius Whitaker. Names you don’t hear any more for a reason. Hearts unable to adapt turn into the dead homies.
‘Th-Thum-Thu-Thump’
Macto Legion Championship. Tom Pendergrass becomes the first. Beating a young undefeated star in the young Honcho by decision. Something no homo about never forgetting your first. Pendergrass is around coaching but of what at this point? Looking pretty code blue. Unable to adapt, dead homies.
‘Th-Th-Thump-Thump’ This stuttering heart shit some bullshit.
Caged Glory Fighting Championship. Niko Holst ending up being the only man to give the new household name what he wanted, a battle, even more, his second loss by decision. He rode off into sunset? Makes me blue.
Fisk, have you adapted, are you transitioning to something greater? Or something worse?
Next. 8 Corners MMA.
OH FUCK TH---
‘[BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPP]’
CLEAR!!!! *SHOCK HITS*
----
‘Thumpthump-thump-thump’
A strong vibrant cadence of a heartbeat returns but this time around its source is shown. Three bodies in the room sharing a moment with the one in the oven. The ultrasound wand in the doctor’s hand, gliding across the womb, she gives a joyous smile to the couple in front of her. Kaliyah Kane-Fisk responds to the doctor as they are exchanging words of happiness and pleasantries.
The first-trimester ultrasound is a success. A healthy baby with a healthy heartbeat but it’s all Charlie Brown teacher language to Daniel Fisk Jr. Not for a lack of care or excitement but for reality. For 5 years this is a man that has placed MMA in front of everything. Family, friends, and religion itself. MMA is a religion. The only. But then, you see what your heart has produced. You begin to reap benefits. Fisk never turned away from the monitor. He never blinked. His eyes remained dog-fuck stuck on his unborn legacy. Breathe dude.
‘Thumpthump-thump-thump’
And for the first time, the heartbeat of someone else made Daniel Fisk check his. What if the heart can adapt? What if the heart has shown time and time again it’s able to transition and excel?
That heart is more than able to adapt, transition, and transform but after so many attacks you become cold, rigid, and as dead as the grave. You grow tired of children attempting to be in adult conversation. You grow tired of the theatrics for clout when it’ll just end up being another ‘how many shots to the ass’ type scandal. You grow tired of the outright disrespect when you the reason the body of MMA continues to pump blood to it’s vital organs.
That heart is more than able but raising a child with more sense in the womb than 98% of MMA is sounding hella more appealing.
That heart keeps going though if for no other reason, that cage door will eventually close.
That’s that part he lives for and yall stay dying for.
-Y20L-
“A Good Godfather Validates His Children’s Existence”
“Fuck That, Beat You Like Your Stepdaddy ‘Fore You Ever See That.”
It’s sad to see such a solemn face on such a young boy. What is he maybe? Nine? Ten? He just wanted to do what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. Something every child does numerous times in life but this one must of been bad. The tears in his eyes drop more frequently with each step toward the backdoor.
“Grab the switch. Everytime I heard that sentence cuh, goddamn. The fear of God is stronger than any Holy Spirit. Those moments they humble you. Make you human. You are taught early in a real fucked up way how to take an L. How to take ownership for your missteps ‘n pay consequences. Hits different, no sir I don’t like it.”
The young boy sniffles to himself before opening the door knowing what awaits him inside.
“White Tracy, grab the switch bitch.”
Kuhhh-CRRRRAAAAAKKKKK! And the screams follows. Hold tight yall it’s just the warmup but like most beatings it will be quick.
“After all the jack legging and fuckboi’in. After all the waiting and debating. The Union GP Openweight Tournament begins in the UAE, finally. Shit. I finally return to the Union cage after the young son Shooter hit me with the fade. Ever since that particular fade catching I had to sit back and realize something, I was out. That was my shot, I missed. Eat that L. That was my time to cement, I failed. For the second time. At that point I don’t deserve a fuckin shot right?”
Thoughts and Prayers.
“Right. I agree yall. Hand to me I do. I still don’t deserve that shot no matter where my name lies in the fucking standings. Why? Because I’m not coming for that until I get what I’m here in this fucking tournament for. Union’s Inaugural Cruiserweight Grand Prix Tournament Winner. Union’s 2019 Crusierweight Grand Prix Winner. Current G2 Grand Champion, that’s Openweight too huh? I am the ONLY Union Fighter to win both of the tournaments in my weight class in it’s history. Facts. Questions you need to be asking is how McClackfuck got seed over you.”
KUUH-CRAACCCKK!
“Tracy, when you first came on the scene I’ll be honest I was interested. You had the mouth, the motor, some flavor. I don’t say much on social. Never have, so I enjoy laughing at people with that type of time. But that heart on you sus partna. Maybe not to throw em but it turned dead homie after getting your eye folded. Pulled back when it was time to mount up. Lost me. That so-called energy of hate in your tweets then turning right about and begging for the support of those same people you hate. After making the business moves necessary to excommunicate myself from the actors here you be, keeping the Megan Treamon’s of the world alive. Which is why you White Tracy from Empire. Act bitch act. Grab a Tony. I don’t give a fuck you’re done in Dhabi. On me.”
SNAAAAPPPP!!! The boy’s ass is raw now come on.
“I know you are more than ready to unload on me with heavy rounds of skippity paps. I had a front row seat to it and it made me smile even while watching my own Killa catch hell. Fucked up right? Might be but she needed that asswhippin and I needed to see it. That was your chance. Your moment. You failed. How can you win but fail? Trace maddogged her op in that cage but couldn’t put her away. The excuse? I bully. The reality? You couldn’t. So where does that place a Stepfather of MMA like me before you?”
Heavy breathing, snot, and forever flowing tears on the pillow.
“I applaud the new breed you are a part of building. Yall are a good KC strip steak, better than the round steaks up in Toronto but still aint Ribeye, you follow? You believe you matter and maybe in someone’s heart you did, until UGP 23. Who knows? Maybe you’ll earn your color.”
-KILLAWAY-