Da'Mon Blackshear Record: 17-8-1

UFC arrival

Blackshear made his UFC debut in August 2022 in a competitive fight with Youssef Zalal that ended in a majority draw. He dropped a decision to unbeaten prospect Farid Basharat in March 2023, then rebounded with a second-round TKO of Luan Lacerda in June. His signature moment came that August: at UFC Vegas 78 he submitted Jose Johnson with a first-round twister, one of just three twister finishes in UFC history at the time – a feat previously achieved only by Chan Sung Jung and Bryce Mitchell.

Climbing and grinding at 135

The twister put Blackshear on the map, but the bantamweight division pushed back. A week after that finish he stepped up on short notice and lost a decision to Mario Bautista at UFC 292, then suffered a first-round knockout against Montel Jackson in 2024. He answered with the best run of his career: a first-round rear-naked choke of veteran Cody Stamann in November 2024, a second-round kimura over Cody Gibson in March 2025, and a unanimous decision over Alatengheili in April 2025. A unanimous-decision loss to veteran Davey Grant in July 2025 snapped the momentum, underlining how unforgiving the 135-pound division remains.

Fighting style

Blackshear is a submission specialist first and foremost. Eleven of his 17 wins have come by tap-out, a 76% finish rate, and his back-takes, chokes and creative entries – capped by that rare twister – make him one of the most opportunistic grapplers at bantamweight. His scrambling and transitions are elite, and he is genuinely dangerous off both offense and defense on the mat. The recurring obstacle has been the striking exchanges and the judges: seven of his eight losses have come by decision, often in fights where he could not consistently impose his grappling on rangier, more polished strikers. When he gets the fight to the floor, though, few 135-pounders are safe.

Career highlights

• Rare twister finish — submitted Jose Johnson with a twister, one of only three such finishes in UFC history at the time.
• Submission specialist — 11 of his 17 wins by submission, with a 76% finish rate that makes any ground exchange perilous for opponents.
• Veteran-beating run — strung together finishes and a decision over Cody Stamann, Cody Gibson and Alatengheili to establish himself in the bantamweight mix.