Ivan tried one last desperate move, he arched his back and pushed against Brian's hips to ease some of the pressure.
His legs kicked against the mat, trying to create enough momentum to roll over or slip out of the choke.
But Brian's grip was like iron, and the more Ivan struggled, the tighter the choke seemed to get.
Whittier's voice echoed faintly in the background, "Come on, Ivan! Don't give up! Fight it!"
But Ivan could barely hear him now.
His heart pounded in his ears, and the edges of his vision went dark.
His chest heaved as he tried to suck in one last breath, but his airway was completely crushed by Brian's arms.
Ivan refused to tap, even as his body betrayed him.
His hands weakened, and his arms dropped limply to the mat.
His eyes fluttered, and his last conscious thought was a vow to never give up, no matter the cost.
Brian's grip remained tight as Ivan's body went completely limp.
Hank Binn, watching closely, rushed in.
He grabbed Brian's arm and shouted, "He's out! He's out!" Hank quickly pulled Brian off Ivan, who slumped motionless onto the mat.
Brian released the choke, his chest heaving as he stood up, victorious.
The room erupted with cheers as Team Chemasov celebrated, but Ivan lay still, unconscious on the canvas.
Whittier and the medical team rushed into the cage, kneeling beside Ivan, checking his vitals.
A moment later, Ivan's eyes fluttered open, and he blinked in confusion as he slowly regained consciousness.
He looked around, dazed, realizing what had happened. He hadn't tapped, he had gone out fighting.
Damon, standing at the edge of the cage, watched in silence.
He clenched his fists, his jaw tight.
This was a reminder of the stakes.
One mistake could end everything.
As Ivan was helped up, his face wore a look of defeat, but there was also pride in his eyes.
He had gone out on his shield, as he always promised himself.
Brian, standing on the other side of the cage, acknowledged Ivan with a nod of respect.
There was no need for words. They both knew how much had been left in that cage.
Hank Binn took Brian's hand, raising it high. "And the winner, moving to the finals, Brian Walker!"
Cheers erupted from Team Chemasov as Brian grinned, his chest heaving with exhaustion and triumph.
Brian walked toward Ivan, extending a hand.
Ivan hesitated for a moment but then accepted it.
Chemasov clapped Brian on the back, his grin wide. "Good job, brother! You did it!"
Brian nodded, still catching his breath.
He glanced across the cage at Damon, and for a brief moment, their eyes met.
In Brian's eyes, Damon saw the promise of what would happen if they squared off in the finals.
Damon looked back at Brian, their eyes locking for a brief moment.
He could see the anger that was still in Brian's eyes, the tension that hadn't been released since Damon eliminated his brother.
But Damon quickly pushed it aside, there was no room for distractions now.
He had bigger things to focus on, his upcoming fight with Kofi.
The days running up to this point had been the hardest part of the competition.
Damon had pushed himself harder than ever, almost obsessively. It had paid off, but it hadn't gone unnoticed.
The coaches had even pulled him aside and dismissed him from the gym for his own safety, telling him to rest.
"Overtraining's gonna burn you out before the fight," was all he heard
Of course, he was greatful of that.
But Damon couldn't shake the need to push further.
In just a few days, he had accomplished what felt like more than a week's worth of progress.
His elixirs had been working overtime, too.
His strength and agility had climbed to C-Rank, finally hitting that next level.
His stamina was still at D+, but he could feel the improvement coming.
One more hard session, just a little more, and he'd hit that next threshold.
All he needed was that final push.
But yet, Damon knew he couldn't afford to burn out, especially with the elixirs still coursing through his system.
The effects were powerful, but exploiting them without drawing attention was a whole different challenge.
He knew what he was doing, but the coaches didn't know about the system or the elixirs.
He had to be careful.
Drawing too much attention now could risk everything.
Sure, becoming a star would put him in the spotlight, but there were some things he had to keep private, things he couldn't let anyone on the show or in the UFA find out about.
Millions of people were watching this show, dissecting every move he made.
He couldn't let anyone, not even his coaches, realize what was really driving his rapid improvements.
It was one thing to push himself at home, where no one could see him, but here, on The Supreme Fighter, every action was under a microscope.
He needed to balance his ambition with caution.
Go too far, and people would start asking questions.
Stay under the radar, and he could keep his secret safe.
It was a tricky game, but one he knew he had to play perfectly.
As his team made their way to the back, Ivan, still smiling despite his loss, patted Damon on the back. "I lost, haha, now it's you," he said with a grin. "You see, I wanted to fight the best. So if you win this... I challenge you."
Damon looked at him, a bit surprised.
Ivan didn't look like a man who had just been choked out.
He was grinning like nothing had happened.
Damon couldn't help but chuckle. "I see. That's fine with me," he replied, shaking his head at Ivan's determination.
Ivan gave a nod, his grin never fading. "Good. I wait for you in future. We make real fight."
Ivan grinned even wider and added, "Who knows, maybe we meet in UFA, fighting for champion, eh?"