Geoff Neal

Geoffrey Charles Neal (born August 28, 1990)[1] is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 24, 2023, he is #7 in the UFC welterweight rankings.[5]

Geoff Neal
Geoff Neal at UFC 228
BornGeoffrey Charles Neal[1]
(1990-08-28) August 28, 1990
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Other namesHandz of Steel
ResidenceDallas, Texas, U.S.
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Reach75 in (191 cm)
Fighting out ofHarker Heights, Texas, U.S.
TeamFortis MMA[2]
TrainerSayif Saud[2]
RankPurple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[3]
Years active2012–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total20
Wins15
By knockout9
By submission2
By decision4
Losses5
By knockout1
By submission2
By decision2
Amateur record
Total7
Wins6
By knockout5
Losses1
Other information
OccupationServer and bartender[4]
UniversityTexas Lutheran
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background

Neal was born in Austin, Texas, United States.[6] He played football at private university Texas Lutheran. However, he did not like the football program there and transitioned to compete in MMA, coached under Sayif Saud.[2]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Neal made his amateur debut in 2010, a second-round win by knockout against Bobby Hernandez. He competed in a total of 7 amateur matches, ending with a 6–1 amateur record. Before being signed by the UFC, Neal competed in a total of 10 mixed martial arts matches, winning 8 and losing 2 of them.[7]

Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series

Neal appeared on Dana White's Contender Series 3 and faced Chase Waldon. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round[8] and was signed by the UFC.[9]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Neal made his promotional debut on February 18, 2018, against Brian Camozzi at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Medeiros.[10] He won the bout via submission in the first round.[11]

Neal next faced Frank Camacho on September 8, 2018, at UFC 228.[12] He won the fight via knockout in the second round.[13]

Neal faced Belal Muhammad on January 19, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw.[14] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[15]

Neal faced Niko Price on July 27, 2019, at UFC 240.[16] He won the fight via technical knockout in round two.[17] This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.[18]

Neal faced Mike Perry on December 14, 2019, at UFC 245.[19] He won the fight via first-round technical knockout.[20]

Neal was expected to face Neil Magny on August 29, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 175.[21] However, Neal withdrew from the event due to health issues and he was replaced by Robbie Lawler.[22]

Neal faced Stephen Thompson on December 19, 2020, in the headliner of UFC Fight Night 183.[23] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[24]

Neal faced Neil Magny at UFC on ESPN 24 on May 8, 2021.[25] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[26]

Neal faced Santiago Ponzinibbio on December 11, 2021, at UFC 269.[27] He won the back-and-forth bout via split decision.[28] 10 out of 14 media scores gave it to Neal.[29]

Neal faced Vicente Luque on August 6, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 40.[30] He won the fight via knockout in round three.[31] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[32]

Neal was scheduled to face Shavkat Rakhmonov on January 14, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 217.[33] However, on December 29, Neal pulled out due to undisclosed injury.[34] The pair was rescheduled for UFC 285 on March 4, 2023.[35] At the weigh-ins on March 3, Neal weighed in at 175 pounds, 4 pounds over the non-title welterweight limit. As a result, the bout proceeded as a catchweight and Neal was fined 30% of his fight purse, which went to Rakhmonov.[36] He lost the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the third round.[37] Despite his failure to make weight, UFC president Dana White was so pleased with the fight and impressed with Neal's outing that Neal still received his share of the Fight of the Night award.[38]

Neal was scheduled to face Ian Machado Garry at UFC 292 on August 19, 2023.[39] However, Neal withdrew due to undisclosed health reasons,[40] and was replaced by Neil Magny.[41]

Championships and accomplishments

Personal life

Neal worked as a server at a Texas Roadhouse in Dallas for ten years until his fight with Mike Perry in late 2019.[43][44][45] In June 2020, Neal revealed he had returned to his job as a server after failing to get fights scheduled.[46]

In August 2020, Neal revealed he went into septic shock after suffering from an unspecified infection. Neal was admitted to the intensive care unit where it was determined he was also experiencing congestive heart and kidney failure. After taking some time to recover, Neal resumed his mixed martial arts career in December 2020.[47]

On November 25, 2021, Neal was arrested in Collin County, Texas on charges of driving under the influence and unlawful possession of a firearm, two misdemeanors. He was later released from jail on $2,000 bond.[48]

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
20 matches 15 wins 5 losses
By knockout 9 1
By submission 2 2
By decision 4 2
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 15–5 Shavkat Rakhmonov Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 285 March 4, 2023 3 4:17 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Catchweight (175 lb) bout; Neal missed weight. Fight of the Night.
Win 15–4 Vicente Luque KO (punches) UFC on ESPN: Santos vs. Hill August 6, 2022 3 2:01 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 14–4 Santiago Ponzinibbio Decision (split) UFC 269 December 11, 2021 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 13–4 Neil Magny Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs. Waterson May 8, 2021 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 13–3 Stephen Thompson Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal December 19, 2020 5 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 13–2 Mike Perry TKO (head kick and punches) UFC 245 December 14, 2019 1 1:30 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 12–2 Niko Price TKO (punches) UFC 240 July 27, 2019 2 2:39 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Performance of the Night.
Win 11–2 Belal Muhammad Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw January 19, 2019 3 5:00 Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win 10–2 Frank Camacho KO (head kick) UFC 228 September 8, 2018 2 1:23 Dallas, Texas, United States
Win 9–2 Brian Camozzi Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Medeiros February 18, 2018 1 2:48 Austin, Texas, United States
Win 8–2 Chase Waldon TKO (punches) Dana White's Contender Series 3 July 25, 2017 1 1:56 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Middleweight bout.
Win 7–2 Bilal Williams TKO (punches) LFA 16 July 14, 2017 1 4:43 Dallas, Texas, United States
Loss 6–2 Kevin Holland TKO (punches) Xtreme Knockout 34 January 28, 2017 3 3:50 Dallas, Texas, United States For the vacant XKO Middleweight Championship.
Win 6–1 Ty Flores TKO (punches) Rumble Time Promotions October 23, 2015 1 3:58 St. Charles, Missouri, United States
Win 5–1 Charlie Ontiveros TKO (retirement) Legacy FC 37 November 14, 2014 2 5:00 Houston, Texas, United States Catchweight (172 lb) bout; Neal missed weight.
Win 4–1 Christopher Anthony Decision (unanimous) Legacy FC 32 June 20, 2014 3 5:00 Bossier City, Louisiana, United States
Win 3–1 Armando Servin Decision (unanimous) Xtreme Knockout 19 August 17, 2013 3 3:00 Dallas, Texas, United States
Loss 2–1 Martin Sano Submission (rear-naked choke) 24/7 Entertainment 9 April 19, 2013 3 1:25 Odessa, Texas, United States Return to Welterweight; Neal missed weight (172 lb).
Win 2–0 Zack Board TKO (punches) Xtreme Knockout 17 January 12, 2013 2 1:46 Arlington, Texas, United States Middleweight debut.
Win 1–0 David McAfee Submission (rear-naked choke) Xtreme Combat Productions: Blood & Glory August 25, 2012 1 2:15 Robstown, Texas, United States Welterweight debut.

[7]

See also

References
  1. "Mixed Martial Arts Show Results: Date: 19 December 2020 Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas" (PDF). boxing.nv.gov. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  2. Golden, Cedric. "Golden: Restaurant by day, UFC by night suits Geoff Neal fine — for now". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  3. "Geoff Neal | UFC". UFC.com. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  4. Gallo, Ed (2018-02-18). "Fighter of Interest: Geoff Neal". MMASucka.com. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  5. "UFC Rankings | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  6. "Geoff Neal". UFC. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  7. "Geoff "Handz of Steel" Neal MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography". Sherdog. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  8. Baldwin, Nick (2017-07-25). "Contender Series results: Roberson finishes Spann in 15 seconds". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  9. Segura, Danny (2017-07-25). "DWTNCS 3 results: Karl Roberson, Geoffrey Neal earn UFC contracts after quick finishes". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  10. "Contender Series's Geoff Neal Set to Make UFC Debut Against Brian Camozzi in Austin - MMA Today". MMA Today. 2017-12-28. Archived from the original on 2017-12-29. Retrieved 2017-12-29.
  11. "UFC Fight Night 126 results: Geoff Neal has 'Handz of Steel' vs. Brian Camozzi, but choke that's real". MMAjunkie. 2018-02-19. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  12. Mark Francescutti (2018-07-18). "UFC 228 in Dallas bouts revealed". sportsday.dallasnews.com. Archived from the original on 2019-05-17. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  13. "UFC 228 results: Geoff Neal scores vicious high-kick finish of Frank Camacho". MMAjunkie. 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
  14. Mark La Monica (2018-11-06). "UFC on ESPN+ in Brooklyn gets its first scheduled bout". newsday.com. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  15. Dave Doyle (2019-01-19). "UFC Brooklyn results: Geoff Neal scores impressive win over Belal Muhammad". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  16. Farah Hannoun (2018-06-26). "Geoff Neal to fight Niko Price at UFC 240 in Edmonton". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  17. Evanoff, Josh (2019-07-27). "UFC 240 Results: Geoff Neal Finishes Niko Price". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-07-28.
  18. Hiergesell, Dan (2019-07-28). "UFC 240 Bonuses! Neal's Vicious TKO Finish Leads $50K Winners". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2019-07-28.
  19. Cruz, Guilherme (2019-10-31). "Mike Perry vs. Geoff Neal booked for UFC 245 in December". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  20. Anderson, Jay (15 December 2019). "UFC 245 Results: Geoff Neal Takes Just 90 Seconds to Stop Mike Perry". Cageside Press. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  21. DNA, MMA (2020-08-07). "Geoff Neal treft Neil Magny tijdens UFC evenement op 29 augustus". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  22. DNA, MMA (2020-08-10). "BREAKING: UFC werkt aan partij tussen Robbie Lawler en Neil Magny voor 29 augustus". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  23. "Stephen Thompson vs. Geoff Neal in the works for UFC on ESPN+ 44 on Dec. 19". MMA Junkie. 2020-11-04. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  24. Doherty, Dan (2020-12-19). "UFC Vegas 17 Results: Stephen Thompson Dominates Geoff Neal With Expert Striking". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  25. Brett Okamoto (April 7, 2021). "Sources: UFC finalizing Neil Magny, Geoff Neal matchup in May". ESPN. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  26. Doherty, Dan (2021-05-08). "UFC Vegas 26 Results: Neil Magny Comes On Strong, Gets By Geoff Neal". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  27. "Geoff Neal vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio added to stacked UFC 269 lineup". MMA Junkie. 2021-10-12. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  28. Gibbons, Justin (2021-12-11). "Geoff Neal Earns Split Decision Victory Over Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 269". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  29. "Geoff Neal def. Santiago Ponzinibbio :: UFC 269 :: MMA Decisions". mmadecisions.com. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  30. Matthew Wells and Nolan King (2022-05-12). "Vicente Luque set to meet Geoff Neal at UFC Fight Night on Aug. 6". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  31. McClory, Mike (2022-08-07). "UFC Vegas 59: Geoff Neal Puts Away Tough-As-Nails Vicente Luque in Third". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  32. "UFC on ESPN 40 bonuses: Jamahal Hill vs. Thiago Santos main event war among 5 total winners". MMA Junkie. 2022-08-07. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  33. Sherdog.com. "Welterweights Geoff Neal, Shavkat Rakhmonov to Clash at UFC Fight Night on Jan. 14". Sherdog. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  34. "Geoff Neal injured, out of UFC Fight Night 217 matchup against Shavkat Rakhmonov". MMA Junkie. 2022-12-29. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  35. Mike Bohn (2023-01-04). "Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov rescheduled for UFC 285 in March". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
  36. MMA Junkie Staff (March 3, 2023). "UFC 285 weigh-in results: Title fights set, but two come in heavy in Las Vegas". MMA Junkie. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  37. Dylan Rush (2023-03-04). "UFC 285: Shavkat Rakhmonov batters, chokes out game Geoff Neal in toughest test yet". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
  38. "UFC 285 bonuses: New champs among $50,000 winners in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. 2023-03-05. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  39. Peter Carroll (14 June 2023). "Exclusive Ian Machado Garry to face Geoff Neal at UFC 292 in Boston". RTÉ.ie.
  40. Mike Bohn (2023-08-09). "Geoff Neal out of UFC 292 fight vs. Ian Machado Garry in Boston". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  41. Mike Bohn (2023-08-09). "Neil Magny replaces Geoff Neal, meets Ian Machado Garry on short notice at UFC 292". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  42. Nolan King (January 4, 2020). "MMA Junkie's 2019 'Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year': Geoff Neal". mmajunkie.com.
  43. Morgan, John (17 January 2019). "UFC's Geoff Neal won't quit server job until he's got $1 million in the bank". MMAJunkie. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  44. "Geoff Neal ("Handz of Steel") | MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  45. Damon Martin (December 13, 2019). "Geoff Neal finally quit his job as a server, now he's solely focused on conquering the UFC's best". mmafighting.com.
  46. Fernando Quiles Jr. (June 23, 2020). "Geoff Neal Not Happy With UFC Layoff, Returns To Second Job". MMANews.com.
  47. Farah Hannoun, Mike John (August 19, 2020). "UFC's Geoff Neal shares frightening details of going into septic shock due to infection". MMA Junkie. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  48. Steven Marrocco (December 2, 2021). "Geoff Neal faces misdemeanor DUI, gun charge after Thanksgiving day arrest". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
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