Geoff Neal will look to make a splash in his first-ever main event this Saturday night (Dec. 19, 2020) when he takes on Stephen Thompson at UFC Vegas 17 from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. And he if has his way, a win over “Wonderboy” should put him in the championship picture.
In fact, “Handz of Steel” says a spectacular knockout over the former multiple-time title contender should warrant a title fight.
“I might have to get one more fight after I beat him,” Neal said during the event’s recent media day (via MMA Junkie). “Depending on what I do, if I do a spinning backward tornado kick and knock him out, I’ll definitely get a title shot. I think even if it’s a really good fight – I’m thinking I’ll need to win one more and get a title shot. That’s my plan.”
A victory will give Neal his fifth straight victory inside the Octagon, and should be enough to help him crack the Top 10.
As it stands, Gilbert Burns is the next man up for a shot at the 170-pound title, as he was in lance to face Kamaru Usman at UFC 256 before “The Nigerian Nightmare” ruled himself out of the bout, postponing it for the second time. They were previously set to tango at UFC 251 but that fight was scratched after Burns tested positive for COVID-19.