Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight strikers Geoff Neal and Ian Garry will collide this weekend (Sat., Feb. 17, 2024) at UFC 298 inside Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
It’s been 11 months since we last saw “Handz of Steel” in his back-and-forth war with undefeated Kazakh killer Shavkat Rakhmonov. It was one of the best fights of the year and a great display of Neal’s talents, but the Texan surely wants to return to the win column. Perhaps more motivating, Neal wants to settle a nasty grudge match by pummeling Garry into a bloody pulp.
Speaking of “The Future,” Garry’s popularity has nosedived in the last few months amidst considerable controversy and a last-second UFC 296 withdrawal. It’s important to remember, however, that all the drama is noise outside of the Octagon. In the cage, Garry has been perfect, and the 26 year old remains a top prospect and rising contender.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
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Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Geoff Neal
Record: 15-5
Key Wins: Belal Muhammad (UFC Fight Night 143), Vicente Luque (UFC Vegas 59), Santiago Ponzinibbio (UFC 269), Niko Price (UFC 240), Mike Perry (UFC 245)
Key Losses: Shavkat Rakhmonov (UFC 285), Stephen Thompson (UFC Vegas 17), Neil Magny (UFC Vegas 26), Kevin Holland (Xtreme Knockout 34)
Keys to Victory: Neal is one of Welterweight’s nastiest punchers. The Southpaw likes to work from his back foot, circling the cage to gain angles before exploding into good combinations. In addition to his counter and combo work, Neal has one of the best head kicks in the business too.
Knocking out both Mike Perry and Vicente Luque is quite a demonstration of power.
In this bout, Neal matches up to the physical attributes of Garry more than most, meaning he’s not helpless at range like several recent “Future” opponents. He doesn’t have to rush forward into counters, because he can hold his own with kicks and still look to play his outside game.
Opposite Garry, Neal should be looking to extend combinations. Garry does his best work when able to really dictate pace and slow the fight down with precise shots, but his defense tends to falter in longer trades. Neal should aim to be first and third, meaning he initiates an exchange, defends/avoids/absorbs the counter shot, then returns with an exchange-finishing combination of his own.
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Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Ian Garry
Record: 13-0
Key Wins: Neil Magny (UFC 292), Daniel Rodriguez (UFC Charlotte), Song Kenan (UFC 285), Jordan Williams (UFC 268)
Key Losses: None
Keys to Victory: It can be easy to forget amidst all the hubbub that Garry remains a serious contender. He’s a sniper at distance, able to switch stance and pick apart his opponents with sharp, powerful kicks and counters.
I hate to say it, but if I’m in Garry’s corner, I’m advising him to chase the boo birds, not Neal. Geoff Neal is at his best when able to draw his opponents into counter shots, much like Garry himself. Whenever two counter fighters meet, there’s usually a disadvantage to the man who abandons his usual game and advances into his opponent’s danger zone.
Garry has to play it patient. He’s got the more refined jab and low kick game, meaning he should be able to edge the distance battle. If he’s winning at range, the pressure is on Neal to go outside of his comfort zone and start taking risks, which is usually when Garry lands his heaviest punches.
Bottom Line
Ranked Welterweights with bad blood fighting each other? Sounds like a good time!
Neal has established himself as a Top 10 talent, but he hasn’t yet really broken into immediate title contention yet. At 33 years of age with 20 professional fights, Neal should be hitting his prime right about now. If he’s going to fight for gold, victory here sets him up with a nice bit of momentum moving forward.
As for Garry, a win goes a long way in getting fans back on his side. If he knocks out Neal in highlight-reel worthy fashion, will anyone care about him getting sick at UFC 296? Not likely. More importantly, it’s another step up the ladder and the best win of his career. Extending his UFC record to 7-0 in such a fashion should earn him a huge fight next, possibly a main event against a Top Five opponent.
At UFC 298, Geoff Neal and Ian Garry will settle their bad blood. Which man walks away with the victory?