Damonte Robinson Record: 5-1-1

Adversity and the rebound

Robinson's unbeaten start ended in July 2017 when he ran into Devonte Smith, a future UFC fighter, who caught him in a first-round triangle choke at IT Fight Series 74. He followed with a draw against Aaron Mitchell at Bayfront Brawl 4 to close out the year, leaving him momentarily stalled. But Robinson regrouped, returning in 2019 to submit Travis Hussey by first-round rear-naked choke at Iron Tiger FS 89 and then out-pointing the unbeaten TJ Rigel at Iron Tiger FS 91 in early 2020.

Stepping up to the XFC

A planned bout with Kenneth Cross in August 2020 fell through, but Robinson made his step up count when the cage door finally closed again. In May 2021 he handed the highly regarded Tom O'Connor, a 9–1 fighter, a decision loss at XFC 44 after a lengthy layoff, extending his form and earning a spot in the promotion's lightweight tournament picture. A scheduled matchup with veteran Kurt Holobaugh in January 2022 was scrapped before it could happen.

Fighting style

Robinson is a grappling-led finisher whose five wins break down to two submissions, one knockout-category stoppage and two decisions, a 60 percent finish rate that reflects a fighter equally willing to hunt a choke or bank rounds. His rear-naked choke is his signature weapon, surfacing repeatedly across his finishing wins, and his willingness to take fights to the scorecards against tough, experienced opposition like O'Connor shows a maturing, complete game. His lone defeat – a submission loss to a future UFC fighter – came against the toughest opponent he has faced, underlining that his ceiling has yet to be fully tested.

Career highlights

• 4–0 start — opened his pro career with four straight wins, three of them finishes, across the Ohio regional scene.
• Signature win over Tom O'Connor — out-pointed the 9–1 contender at XFC 44 after a long layoff to extend his form on a bigger stage.
• Rear-naked choke specialist — multiple of his finishes have come via rear-naked choke, the calling card of his grappling-first approach.