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.
"Your pick."
