Ronan stood with his arms crossed as Ivan stepped forward.
"We'll start with lightweight," Ivan said. "Then middleweight."
He didn't look at Damon. He kept his eyes on the fighters.
He took his time, scanning each face. Some fighters looked tense. Others tried to act confident. But most stayed quiet, waiting to hear their name.
Ivan pointed. "I'll take Pedro Santos."
There was a brief pause.
Pedro stepped forward. He was a sharp Brazilian striker. fast hands, powerful kicks, and clean technique. He had made a name for himself in the qualifiers with two knockouts.
But when he heard his name, he didn't smile right away.
For a second, it showed, he was disappointed. Maybe he wanted to train under Damon. Maybe he thought it would help his career more. Either way, it was there.
Then he forced a smile, nodded, and walked over to Ivan's side. He gave a quick handshake and stood still.
He didn't look at Damon.
Ronan looked back toward Damon and gave a short nod.
Damon stepped forward and looked over the fighters. His eyes stopped on one man.
He pointed. "Ronny McGregor."
The room clapped. Some nodded in approval. Others just watched, quiet but interested.
Ronny smiled wide as he stepped out of line.
He didn't look much younger than Damon. Maybe the same age, maybe a year off. Built solid, calm in the face, but you could tell he was ready. He didn't look nervous. He looked like he belonged.
He walked over, and Damon held out his hand. They dapped up without saying much. Just a quick nod from both men.
Ronny stood at Damon's side, still smiling. He didn't look around or act surprised. He looked locked in.
Damon didn't show much, but he was satisfied. Ronny's striking had stood out to him. Fast, clean, with solid fundamentals. It reminded him of Collin NcGyver, confident, aggressive, and precise.
He'd made his first pick. And he liked it.
Damon looked at the group, but his focus wasn't on them. He already knew who Ivan would take next.
He was a strong wrestler who had been competing since he was a kid. His control on the ground was solid, and he had started adding striking to his game. He didn't take risks, but he won clean. Ivan would see the value in that.
Ivan stepped forward and made his choice.
"I'll take Ryan Coleman."
Ryan didn't react much. He smiled, walked over, and shook Ivan's hand.
"Thanks, coach," he said.
Then he moved behind him and stayed there. He didn't show any nerves or excitement. He looked focused and ready.
Damon understood why Ivan picked Ryan. It made sense. When your camp leaned toward wrestling, it was easier to work with a wrestler. The system fit better. There was less to change.
But Damon didn't think like that.
He shook his head slightly. Whether a guy was a striker or a grappler didn't matter to him. Damon fought using both. He had no preference, and he didn't build his team around one style.
He glanced at the remaining lightweights. Five were left. The top names were already gone. That didn't bother him.
Damon wasn't chasing hype. He wasn't looking for the guy everyone already saw as talented.
He wanted someone with potential, a fighter with a clear flaw that could be fixed. That's the kind of pick that paid off when the fights got real.
His eyes landed on one name.
He was smaller than most, but compact. His frame looked strong, and his balance in the cage was solid.
Damon had watched his fights and his file. The kid had skill, both on the feet and on the ground. But he had some bad habits. Poor timing on entries. Left himself open during resets.
Things that could be corrected.
Max walked over and shook Damon's hand. He didn't say much, just gave a quick nod and moved to stand beside him.
Damon was fine with that.
Ivan went next, calling his third fighter without hesitation. Then Damon followed. One by one, they filled their teams, and none of them spoke as they all waited for the selection process to finish.
By the end of it, both sides had four lightweights.
Damon's lightweight team:
Ronny McGregor (Ireland)
Ronny was the standout. Max had potential. Ayo was explosive but wild. Kenji was calm and methodical, tight defense, point-style striking. Damon liked the mix.
Ivan's lightweight team:
Pedro Santos (Brazil)
Pedro was the clean striker. Ryan brought the wrestling. Leo was tough and scrappy, with pressure-heavy boxing. Trevor was well-rounded but hadn't shown anything special yet.
With the lightweights picked, the tension shifted.
Now it was time for the middleweights.
The division Damon currently ruled.
No one said anything, but the room felt different. The fighters knew what was next. Bigger frames. Slower pace, but more power. The guys who fought closer to Damon's style. The division everyone was watching.
Before anyone stepped forward, both coaches paused. They looked across the group of remaining fighters.
The next picks would matter even more.
Since Ivan had taken the last lightweight, Damon now had the first pick in the middleweight division.
He already knew who he wanted.
Damon looked straight at the Brazilian who had stood out the moment his fight played on screen. Clean technique. Power. Confidence. He had caught both coaches' attention early.
"I'll take José Alvarez."
José smiled as he stepped forward. There was no overreaction, just a nod and calm pride. He reached Damon, and they dapped each other up.
Damon gave him a small pat on the shoulder, then motioned for him to stand with the rest of the team.
José joined without saying a word, still smiling.
Damon looked across the mat at Ivan, who was already scanning the remaining fighters, hands resting behind his back. He took a moment longer than usual.