Chapter 189 Preparations
The majority of the hype was centered on the clash between Balim Chemasov and Donald Whittier.
These two giants of the sport were set to face off, and their long-standing reputations and intense coaching rivalry made their bout the real headliner in the eyes of many.
Everyone wanted to see the fight, and there was an overwhelming feeling of excitement surrounding the event.
For Damon and Brian, the reality was clear, as skilled as they were, they were still relatively unknown compared to the likes of Chemasov and Whittier.
It was only natural for the spotlight to be on the two veteran coaches, who had already built legendary careers.
In some ways, Damon welcomed the distraction.
Because at the same time, he knew that this was an opportunity for him to prove himself on the biggest stage.
If he could steal the show, he might just become the one everyone was talking about.
Another reason for the overwhelming attention on Whittier and Chemasov was the potential reward for the winner, a title shot against the reigning UFA middleweight champion, Darik "DPP" Pe Predis.
DPP was a household name in the sport, known for his explosive style and iron-clad defense, making him one of the most dominant champions in recent years.
The possibility of facing DPP added even more weight to the matchup, making it one of the most highly anticipated fights on the entire card.
The UFA was promoting it relentlessly, ensuring that it was the talk of the MMA world.
For Damon and Brian, it was clear that they were sharing the spotlight with much larger stars.
The final would be a co-main event, with Damon and Brian set to fight right before their coaches, Whittier and Chemasov, squared off in the night\'s grand spectacle.
For both young fighters, this was the culmination of a month and a half of hard work, intense training, and intense competition on The Supreme Fighter.
Now, with the finish line in sight, they would share the stage with their legendary coaches.
After the event, win or lose, it would finally be time to return home.
They hadn\'t seen their families in what felt like an eternity, and the thought of being reunited was a welcome distraction from the constant pressure of the competition.
But before they could think about home, there was still one more fight to conquer.
Both Damon and Brian knew that even the runner-up could still catch the eye of UFA executives and secure a contract.
There was always that possibility, that small glimmer of hope for the future.
But neither of them was planning on banking on that.
For now, the only thing on their minds was winning the whole thing, not settling for second place.
The stakes were too high, and both men were determined to prove that they deserved the grand prize, not by default, but by fighting their way to the top.
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Damon grunted as he pushed through another set of bench presses, sweat dripping down his forehead and onto the mat below.
The assistant coach stood nearby, keeping a close eye on him.
"Come on, Damon! Five more reps. Make them count!" The coach gave an order in a firm yet motivating tone. "Get that full range of motion, all the way down, all the way up. Don\'t cheat the movement."
As he finished the last repetitions, Damon\'s arms trembled from the strain and his muscles burned.
He exhaled sharply, racking the weights and sitting up on the bench, his chest heaving.
"Good, take a minute," the assistant coach said. "Next up is the sled push. We\'re working on explosive strength today."
Damon nodded, wiping the sweat from his face with a towel.
As he moved over to the sled, he couldn\'t help but glance across the room at Whittier, who was drilling takedowns with one of his own coaches.
Despite his own upcoming match, Whittier still found time to check in on Damon.
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"Push, Damon, push! 20 meters and back, go!" the assistant coach shouted as Damon took off, driving the sled forward with every ounce of strength.
The metal scraped loudly against the floor as he powered through the exercise, his legs and arms burning with effort.
The coach was relentless, barking orders. "Don\'t stop! Keep that speed up, all the way to the line! Then turn around and push it back!"
Damon reached the end, spun the sled around, and started back, his muscles screaming in protest.
He could feel the difference in his body. The elixir had given him a boost, but there was no substitute for the hard work he was putting in now.
As he neared the finish, Whittier caught his eye, giving him a brief nod of approval before returning to his own drills.
"That\'s it, Damon! You\'re almost there!" the assistant coach shouted, clapping his hands. "Keep driving! Finish strong!"
Damon slammed the sled past the line, then stumbled back, catching his breath.
He had pushed through one of the hardest workouts of his life, but he knew it was necessary.
He had had a week left, and he was determined to be at his absolute peak for the finals.
Through out the past week since the fight announcement, Damon had reached B rank on Endurance, but with Strength and Speed being mid and not peak(+) he had to push them there before taking the elixir.
Luckily, he managed to reach peak on Strength as it wasn\'t far, and today, he managed to break through the rank.
Now he was just feeling up his strength.
Hopefully, he can reach peak and break through to C rank on his speed, but if time doesn\'t let it, then he would settle for D+
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● Strength: B-
● Speed: D
● Stamina: C
● Endurance: B-
● Agility: C
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