As our exchange of blows came to an end, his exhausted body clung to me in a desperate clinch.
Even on the verge of unconsciousness, he refused to go down, driven by sheer determination to win.
Gently, like soothing a child, I stroked his head and whispered,
"You fought well."
I softly pushed him away, feeling the referee's gaze upon us as I took a step back.
And in that moment, his knees finally gave out, and he slowly sank to the canvas—