Geoff Neal
Handz of Steel
USA
Out
Injury Elbow
Est. Return 9/1/2025
Won't fight at UFC 314
Neal won't fight in UFC 314 on April 12 after undergoing elbow surgery, Lynch On Sports reports.
ANALYSIS
Neal was expected to face Carlos Prates in a welterweight event this Saturday, but the fight is now off. Neal is expected to step into the Octagon at some point during the summer.
Neal was expected to face Carlos Prates in a welterweight event this Saturday, but the fight is now off. Neal is expected to step into the Octagon at some point during the summer.
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Draws red-hot fighter
Neal will take on Carlos Prates in a welterweight matchup at UFC 314 on April 12 in Miami, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Once considered one of the division's top prospects, Neal hit a bit of a rough spot with a 2-4 run spanning from 2020 through early-2024. He bounced back with a first-round finish against veteran Rafael dos Anjos this past October, but he now draws a red-hot fighter in Prates who has one four consecutive fights by stoppage in the first two rounds and earned a post-fight bonus in each. Neal is a higher-volume striker by a slight margin, but he'll be on the short end of striking defense, statistically, in addition to being at a disadvantage in both height and reach.
Once considered one of the division's top prospects, Neal hit a bit of a rough spot with a 2-4 run spanning from 2020 through early-2024. He bounced back with a first-round finish against veteran Rafael dos Anjos this past October, but he now draws a red-hot fighter in Prates who has one four consecutive fights by stoppage in the first two rounds and earned a post-fight bonus in each. Neal is a higher-volume striker by a slight margin, but he'll be on the short end of striking defense, statistically, in addition to being at a disadvantage in both height and reach.
Snaps brief losing streak
Neal defeated Rafael dos Anjos via TKO (knee injury) at 1:30 of Round 1 at UFC 308 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
ANALYSIS
Neal looked great for a long as the fight lasted. He came out on fire, picking up a huge knockdown and an easy takedown. He almost certainly would have continued to beat up RDA, but a knee injury suffered by the latter ended the fight in an instant. It's not the way Geoff was hoping to win, but entering with back-to-back losses to Ian Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov on his resume, "Handz of Steel" needed a victory any way he could find one. The 34-year-old Texan improves his record to 3-2 in his past five bouts dating back to December 2021.
Neal looked great for a long as the fight lasted. He came out on fire, picking up a huge knockdown and an easy takedown. He almost certainly would have continued to beat up RDA, but a knee injury suffered by the latter ended the fight in an instant. It's not the way Geoff was hoping to win, but entering with back-to-back losses to Ian Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov on his resume, "Handz of Steel" needed a victory any way he could find one. The 34-year-old Texan improves his record to 3-2 in his past five bouts dating back to December 2021.
Slated to take on dos Anjos
Neal will face Rafael dos Anjos in a welterweight bout at UFC 308 on Oct. 26, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Neal is coming off two consecutive losses, the latest at the hands of Ian Machado Garry via split decision back in February. That's dropped his UFC record to 7-4-0, but he'll have a chance to get back into the win column against dos Anjos, who is also reeling from two straight losses. Neal's youth and reach, among other aspects, should give him a slight leg up here in late October.
Neal is coming off two consecutive losses, the latest at the hands of Ian Machado Garry via split decision back in February. That's dropped his UFC record to 7-4-0, but he'll have a chance to get back into the win column against dos Anjos, who is also reeling from two straight losses. Neal's youth and reach, among other aspects, should give him a slight leg up here in late October.
Inconsistent ways continue
Neal lost to Ian Garry via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 27-30) at UFC 298 on Saturday in Anaheim.
ANALYSIS
Neal fought better than the two 30-27 scorecards would lead you to believe, but it certainly didn't appear as if he did enough to win. Geoff's best round was the first. While he had serious issues all night closing the distance against his much longer opponent, he managed to do it with some regularity in Round 1. He began to absorb more damage as the fight progressed, highlighted by countless Garry knees right up the middle. It's baffling that a fighter of Neal's caliber, training with an elite team day after day at Fortis MMA in Dallas under "The General" Sayif Saud, couldn't make an adjustment to stop that mid-fight. Set to turn 34 years of age in August, Geoff now has a pair of two-fight losing streaks sandwiched around a brief two-fight winning streak. Time is running out for "Handz of Steel."
Neal fought better than the two 30-27 scorecards would lead you to believe, but it certainly didn't appear as if he did enough to win. Geoff's best round was the first. While he had serious issues all night closing the distance against his much longer opponent, he managed to do it with some regularity in Round 1. He began to absorb more damage as the fight progressed, highlighted by countless Garry knees right up the middle. It's baffling that a fighter of Neal's caliber, training with an elite team day after day at Fortis MMA in Dallas under "The General" Sayif Saud, couldn't make an adjustment to stop that mid-fight. Set to turn 34 years of age in August, Geoff now has a pair of two-fight losing streaks sandwiched around a brief two-fight winning streak. Time is running out for "Handz of Steel."
Another date with Garry
Neal (undisclosed) is scheduled to face Ian Garry in a welterweight bout at UFC 299 in Miami on March 9, Danny Segura of USA Today reports.
ANALYSIS
The pair was previously scheduled to face off in August before Neal dropped out for medical reasons, and Garry ended up defeating Neil Magny. Neal lost his previous fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov last March but was victorious in his two prior bouts.
The pair was previously scheduled to face off in August before Neal dropped out for medical reasons, and Garry ended up defeating Neil Magny. Neal lost his previous fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov last March but was victorious in his two prior bouts.