Dashawn Boatwright Record: 3-3-0

Dana White's Contender Series

In June 2018, the 3-0 Boatwright stepped onto Dana White's Contender Series against the unbeaten Alonzo Menifield (6-0). It was a brutal welcome to elite competition: Menifield overwhelmed him with ground-and-pound for a first-round stoppage and walked away with a UFC contract. Boatwright didn't get long to reset. The following month he was scheduled to face Matthew Semelsberger on the same card cycle, but that bout fell through; instead he took a short-notice fight against the experienced Cristhian Torres (12-9) at LFA 46 and was stopped by punches in the first round.

Later career

Those back-to-back losses against high-level competition slowed Boatwright's climb, and he stepped away from the cage for an extended stretch. He returned in October 2021 to face the unbeaten Karl Williams (2-0) at Stellar Fights 47, but the bout ended in the first round due to a knee injury, leaving him with his third straight defeat and a 3-3 professional record.

Fighting style

Boatwright is a heavy-handed, aggressive light heavyweight whose finishing instincts cut both ways. Two of his three wins came by stoppage – including a memorable head-kick knockout – with the third by decision, and his amateur and pro highlight reel leaned on power and forward pressure. The flip side is durability against top opposition: all three of his losses came by knockout or stoppage in the first round, every one of them against an unbeaten or far more experienced opponent. It is the profile of an exciting regional finisher who ran into the level just above him.

Career highlights

• Undefeated start — opened his pro career 3-0, including a first-round head-kick knockout, to earn a major-stage call-up.
• Contender Series appearance — tested himself against future UFC fighter Alonzo Menifield on Dana White's Contender Series in 2018.
• Richmond regional draw — built a reputation as a crowd-pleasing finisher fighting out of the MMA Institute on Virginia's regional scene.