I successfully set up animation transition/blending using Animation Blueprint/state machine : )
To mimic linear animation system like cutscene, I use a linear state machine. The transition/blending time is controlled using BlendSettings > Duration.
“Get Game Time in Seconds” to set transition rules.
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Well, the example uses motion captured Animation Sequence:
https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Resources/Showcases/MatineeFightScene/index.html
Which make me think it is perfectly fine to blend in 3ds Max/Maya.