As the day passed, the drinking continued, and the mood grew lighter.
Laughter filled the yard and house, and even without music, some of the fighters started dancing, swaying to their own rhythm.
It was a carefree moment, a brief escape from the intense competition they all knew was coming.
Everyone seemed happy, letting loose and enjoying the break from the pressure.
Damon soon realized he wasn't the only one who chose to avoid the alcohol.
Ivan, his roommate, didn't drink either, keeping to himself quietly.
But what really surprised Damon was seeing Kofi from the other team staying away from the beer as well.
Despite Kofi's lighthearted personality and his dominant presence in the cage, Damon half-expected him to be the type to join in and dance around with everyone.
But no, Kofi refrained, although he still hung out with his team, laughing and talking along with the rest of them.
There were a few others who also didn't indulge, but the majority of the house didn't seem to care.
Damon yawned as he looked up at the sky from under the gazebo, feeling the fatigue of the day catching up with him.
Unsure if tomorrow would be a free day or the start of training, he figured it was better to rest early and be prepared.
He glanced around at the others who were still laughing and enjoying themselves. Standing up, he stretched and said, "Well, gentlemen, I'm going to take my leave."
"Already? Come on, bro, just one sip, it won't hurt," one of the guys called out, trying to get him to join in.
Damon just shook his head as he started walking away. He wasn't about to give in to that.
As he got far enough that their voices faded, the guy who had offered him the sip muttered, "Well, that guy's boring. Good luck making it in UFA," followed by his own loud laugh.
No one else joined in, and after a moment of awkward silence, the conversation shifted back to other topics, like the comment hadn't even been made.
Damon entered the house, the muffled voices of Team Chemasov, as they chatted quietly in the living room.
It seemed their mood had mellowed a bit compared to earlier.
The noise from the living room only got louder. Damon could now clearly hear bits of the drunken conversation.
One voice slurred, "Bro, I'm tellin' ya, I could take that dude in one round, easy!"
Another laughed. "Nah, you? You can't even stand straight right now. You'd get knocked out by a stiff breeze, man!"
"I'm serious! You see that last fight? I got robbed, straight up! Ref was blind."
Someone else chimed in, "Yeah, whatever, man. How 'bout we get some more drinks, huh? Keep this party going!"
Damon groaned, frustration bubbling over. "Fucking hell," he muttered under his breath, rubbing his face. He wasn't going to get any sleep with this going on.
Damon stood up, shaking his head in frustration. He glanced over at Ivan, who was fast asleep, his earsets playing music.
Smart move, Damon thought. Now he understood why Ivan had chosen that approach, avoiding the noise, avoiding the drama, and just sleeping through it all.
But Damon couldn't sleep, not with the noise getting louder.
He knew how drunk people were; once they got to this point, common sense might as well not exist.
Approaching them could stir up unnecessary trouble, and he wasn't in the mood for that.
He sighed, debating whether he should put up with the noise or find a way to drown it out himself.
Another shout echoed through the house, followed by more drunken laughter.
Damon clenched his fists, taking a deep breath. 'Fuck it' he thought.
He got out of bed, marched toward the door, and headed straight for the living room.
As he stepped inside, he immediately noticed the scene, several of the fighters were shirtless, including Kevin, who was knocked out on the couch.
The two making all the noise were the blonde brothers he remembered from the team selection and their fights. They were the source of the racket.
Damon walked up to them, doing his best to keep calm. "Hey guys, could you please keep it down? We're trying to sleep."
The two brothers stopped talking, their eyes turning to Damon. For a second, there was an awkward pause as they stared at him, sizing him up.