The next hurdle was the rope swing. Whittier grabbed the rope with both hands right away and held on tight.
He took a running start, launching himself into the air.
As he swung across the gap, he adjusted his grip, pulling himself higher for a smooth landing.
With a quick release, he landed on the next platform effortlessly.
He gave a light nod, more to himself than to anyone else.
The ten-foot wall loomed ahead, but Whittier moved toward it with confidence.
His hands found the first handhold, and he began climbing with a speed that showed his familiarity with such challenges.
His legs powered him upward as his fingers gripped the small holds tightly.
About halfway up, he looked down briefly, flashing a grin at his team before pulling himself up and over the top of the wall in one smooth motion.
Next, the unstable pillars. These would be tricky, but Whittier wasn't worried.
His footwork was light, and his agility would be put to the test here.
He stepped onto the first pillar, which wobbled beneath his weight.
But instead of hesitating, he moved quickly, hopping from one pillar to the next.
Each pillar rocked dangerously, but Whittier stayed nimble, moving faster than anyone expected.
A few gasps escaped from the onlookers as he almost lost his footing on one of the higher pillars, but he recovered quickly, jumping to the final platform.
Now came the suspended ladder.
Whittier grabbed the first rung, and it swayed slightly under his grip.
He climbed carefully, his arms flexing as he pulled himself from rung to rung, maintaining his focus.
Halfway through, his grip began to slip, but he quickly adjusted, wrapping his fingers tighter around the bar.
"Congrats, Donald!" Ronan said, handing him the money. "This right here is for you, you earned it!"
Whittier nodded, accepting the prize. "Thanks, Ronan. Guess all that training paid off, huh?" he joked, turning to his fighters with a satisfied smile.
Balim, meanwhile, shrugged it off with a good-natured chuckle. "Next time, I smesh you, Donny. Easy money," he said with his thick accent, clapping Whittier on the back.
Even though the Coaches challenge was over, both teams were pulsing with excitement because they knew the real fights were still to come in the cage.
It seems the fighters weren't the only ones hungry for fights.
While The Supreme Fighter was designed to focus on the up-and-coming talent from both teams, it was no secret that the coaches themselves carried a weight of expectation.
Throughout the show, tension usually simmered between them, and though their official role was to coach, everyone knew what the real stakes were.
At the end of the season, the fighters would finish their battles, but the coaches would have their moment too.
A much-anticipated coaches' fight was always a staple of the show, a final clash between the two veteran fighters.
And by the way Balim Chemasov had been throwing casual challenges and sly remarks, it was clear the thought was never far from his mind.
Balim wasn't just focused on leading his fighters to victory, he was already planning how he would handle Donald Whittier when the time came for them to settle things in the cage.
It wasn't just the fighters getting ready for war.
Damon grinned and joked, "So, Coach, how about a cut of that $10,000? You know, for moral support and all."
Donald Whittier chuckled, shaking his head as he stuffed the stack of cash into his pocket. "Nice try, kid. You win the show, and then you can talk about prize money. Until then, this stays with me."
The fighters around them laughed, and Damon shrugged playfully, "Worth a shot."
Whittier patted him on the shoulder with a smile, "You focus on winning the whole thing, and there'll be plenty more where this came from."
He smirked, leaning back. "I'm pretty sure if both of you perform well, you might get some Ronan privileges," he joked, throwing a glance toward the UFA CEO.
Damon laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, right. Ronan privileges are probably worth more than the prize money," he quipped, still grinning.
Ronan, overhearing, chuckled from the side. "Keep dreaming, boys. You've got a long way to go before you get anything Ronan level."