Prediction: Da’Mon Blackshear via Submission
Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Alatengheili is one of those fights where the skill gap might not be glaring on the surface, but once it starts playing out, it becomes clear who’s operating on the higher level. Blackshear is the rightful favorite because he’s simply more dynamic everywhere the fight can go. He’s one of the few guys outside the rankings who you can confidently say is already fighting at a ranked level. He’s comfortable in chaos, poised in grappling transitions, and creative in the striking—even if it’s not textbook clean.
Blackshear’s standup isn’t traditional, but it’s effective. He doesn’t rely on perfect mechanics or structured combos with layered setups—he fights with rhythm and timing more than formality. He’ll throw awkward spinning attacks, knees up the middle, and straight punches that come from strange angles, but they land. That unpredictability becomes a serious weapon, especially when paired with the confidence he has to throw strikes in the pocket without second-guessing. He’s not a “clean striker” by definition, but he flows in a way that forces reactions, and his opponents often get caught overthinking.
Alatengheili is more compact and fundamentally sound, but he’s also very limited. His game is extremely linear—both in his movement and his striking approach. He moves forward in straight lines, doesn’t cut angles, and throws simple combinations with no real disguise. There are no traps, no feints, just raw bursts of offense. Against someone like Blackshear, who thrives in transitions and can strike while moving laterally or off-beat, that straightforwardness is a problem. Blackshear’s long straight punches—particularly his jab and cross—will land all night if Alatengheili doesn’t fix that entry pattern.
And once Blackshear starts touching him, the real problem for Alatengheili is mental. He gets visibly frustrated when things don’t go his way. You can see it in his body language. He starts to swing wider, chase more, and abandon what little structure he has. That’s when Blackshear really takes over. He’ll catch those wide shots with counters, tie up in the clinch, and start mixing in his wrestling and trips. He doesn’t force takedowns, he lets them come to him when his opponent starts falling apart or reacting desperately—and Alatengheili has shown that he’ll get wild under pressure.
Where Blackshear really separates himself is his composure and adaptability. He doesn’t have to be winning a round to find his moments. He’s never out of place. Whether it’s on the feet, in scrambles, or up against the fence, he always looks like he knows what he’s doing and where he wants the fight to go next. That comfort across phases is something you usually only see from top-15 fighters, and it’s why even if Alatengheili has his moments early, it won’t matter over the course of three rounds. The more this fight plays out, the more it starts to look like it’s being fought on Blackshear’s terms.