Neal fights Neil on May 8th.
A welterweight fight previously booked for last August is on deck for next month.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reports that #9 ranked Neil Magny and #11 Geoff Neal will square off on the UFC’s May 8th Fight Night show. No location or venue has been announced yet.
Neal (13-3) saw his undefeated run in the UFC come to an end against Stephen Thompson to cap off the 2020 schedule. His unanimous decision loss marked his biggest step up in competition after previously defeating the likes of Mike Perry, Niko Price, and Belal Muhammad.
Magny (24-8) is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Michael Chiesa at UFC Fight Island 8 in January. He went 3-0 in 2020 after not competing at all in 2019, notching decision wins over Li Jingliang, Anthony Rocco Martin, and former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.
It was Lawler who replaced Neal due to a serious, life-threatening battle with sepsis that required hospitalization. Thankfully Neal recovered and we are almost exactly a month away from seeing him against Magny as originally intended.
If the headline didn’t already clue you in, the UFC’s May 8th event is headlined by the return of former bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw from his USADA suspension, as he takes on top contender Cory Sandhagen in a five-rounder. The main card airs live on ESPN television and simulcasts on ESPN+.