A few days passed, and just like that, the training camp for both matchups had come to an end.
The gym felt different now. The noise was the same, pads smacking, coaches shouting, bodies hitting the mat, but the energy had shifted.
There was focus. Purpose.
Both Damon's team and Ivan's had soaked in every session.
Whether it was the regular grind or the guest coaching from legends, the fighters had leveled up.
Mistakes were ironed out. Timing tightened. Bad habits got exposed and corrected.
For Damon's squad, the presence of James Jonas had left a real impact.
They weren't just learning combinations, they were learning how to think inside the cage.
Max was more composed. Kaito was sharper. José had started hiding his setups better, while Elias now moved with more control in transitions.
Even Damon felt sharper, not physically, but as a coach. He wasn't just drilling moves anymore.
He was learning how to read his fighters, how to push without breaking, and when to hold back to let growth happen naturally.
On the other side, Ivan's team looked dialed in too. The appearance of Kamil Murnamadov had clearly set a standard in their camp.
His presence alone made the wrestling rounds more intense. His coaching had pulled the grapplers into better rhythm, especially Arman and Leo. You could see it in the way they moved, cleaner, smarter, more confident.
Fight week had started. The weigh-ins were scheduled. Media day was being prepped. And for the first time in days, the air in the house felt a little heavier.
Because all the talking, training, and sparring were over.
Now it came down to two fights.
And no second chances.
The sparring clips had made their way online.
Short edits. Phone camera angles. Overhead footage from the gym crew.
Within hours, millions had seen James Jonas moving through Damon's team like a veteran still in shape.
They saw the speed, the control, the timing. But what really caught attention was the moment Damon stepped in.
No ego. No hard shots. But there was something sharp in that light spar, two minds trading rhythm and control, two fighters reading each other like pages in a familiar book.
It didn't matter that it wasn't a real fight. It looked too smooth, too calculated, too intriguing. Fans and media ran with it.
Clips flooded Chirper with captions like:
"Run Damon vs Jonas for real."
"Ronin vs Bones. Make it happen."
"Damon ain't backing down. Prime vs Prime would've been fireworks."
Even fight analysts joined in, offering fantasy breakdowns. One podcast dubbed it the "Spar Heard 'Round the Web." Another claimed, "That wasn't just a guest session, that was a preview."
Damon didn't respond to any of it. He wasn't bothered. Deep down, a part of him understood the hype.
He wanted that fight too. Maybe not now. But one day. Even if it was just in a simulation.
Meanwhile, another storm was brewing online.
Fans hadn't forgotten his trash talk during the face-off. His delivery, tone, and smug expression had rubbed people the wrong wayz especially since it was aimed at Kaito, who hadn't said a word.
The backlash hit hard. Comments filled with:
"Chase talks like he's top tier but hasn't shown a damn thing."
"You don't get to disrespect a guy with a better record, better form, and better resume."
"He's all mouth. Kaito's gonna humble him."
Even producers noticed the shift. In editing meetings, Chase's segments were getting cut down.
Not removed, but dialed back. The camera loved drama, but there was a fine line between hype and hate. And Chase was crossing it.
Some fans cheered it on, calling him the villain of the season.
Others weren't as generous. To them, Chase wasn't entertaining. He was just another fighter who hadn't earned his voice.
Inside the house, things remained quiet. Damon didn't need to say anything to his team.
Kaito wasn't the type to get pulled into trash talk. He trained, kept his schedule, and focused on the task ahead.
All that noise would make the fight personal.
And if Chase thought he could talk his way into Kaito's head, he had no idea what was coming.
In the quiet moments between drills, Damon found himself thinking back.
Chase Dunham's attitude, the loud confidence, the way he puffed his chest during the face-off, it all reminded him of two familiar faces from his own season of The Supreme Fighter.
Two loudmouths with talent and egos to match. They had strutted into the house like they owned it, barking at anyone who looked their way.
Damon remembered the way they taunted guys during meals, turned sparring sessions into shouting matches, and stirred tension like it was their job.
But the thing was, they weren't the same.
Logan had been all talk. Flashy with his hands, soft with his chin. Damon had crushed him in round 2.
Brian had been different.
Still loud, still cocky. But he backed it up. Slick footwork. Crisp counters. And a pace that never slowed.
Damon had beaten him too, but it was easy. Brian was definitely better than his brother but Damon had mauled both of them.
And now, watching Chase posture and talk like he was already famous, Damon couldn't help but wonder.
Which type was Chase?
Was he Logan, loud, sloppy, easy to expose?
Or was he Brian, annoying, but sharp, dangerous, and capable of surprising people?
Damon didn't have the answer yet.
But the curiosity sat in the back of his mind.
He hadn't thought about the Walkers in a long time.
Part of him still wondered where Brian ended up. Maybe he got tired of the business. Maybe life pulled him in another direction.
Whatever it was, Damon hoped he was good.
But Chase was still here. Still running his mouth. Still pretending the cage was a stage for his ego.
Damon didn't need to guess anymore.
Soon, the cage would show who Chase really was.
And if Kaito did what Damon knew he could… Chase would find out too.