Tag: Geoff Neal

Ian Garry Names Former Opponent As His Toughest Style Matchup At Welterweight

Ian Machado Garry put his money where his mouth is in the lead up to UFC 310. The undefeated welterweight has been calling out all the names that are ranked ahead of him but when none of them would take the fight, he agreed to face Joaquin Buckley on December 14. His decision to take […]

Ian Machado Garry put his money where his mouth is in the lead up to UFC 310. The undefeated welterweight has been calling out all the names that are ranked ahead of him but when none of them would take the fight, he agreed to face Joaquin Buckley on December 14.

His decision to take this matchup came with one other promise to the UFC, that he would be ready to step in if either of the men involved in the UFC 310 main event were forced to withdraw. With the welterweight champion Belal Muhammad out of the fight, Garry proved to be a man of his word and he will now face Shavkat Rakhmonov in the co-main event this weekend.

Calling opponents out for avoiding him is one thing but agreeing to face the man that everyone sees as the boogeyman of the division really shows that Garry backs himself against any and all of his fellow welterweights. In fact, he already believes that he’s overcome the toughest style clash for him.

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, the 27-year old answered some questions from the fans. One of which asked him who he believes is the toughest style matchup for him in the division.

Though many would assume that a grappling-heavy fighter might be his biggest challenge as an excellent striker, he responded by naming an opponent that he has already beaten. In February, he won 30-27 on two of the judges scorecards at UFC 298 to earn his seventh consecutive win inside the Octagon.

“I believe I’ve already fought him, his name is Geoff Neal. Someone who hits like a truck, has clean striking, very hard to take down. So I believe that he was one of the dark horses in the division and I went out there and I beat him clean, so for me that’s it.” 

Rafael dos Anjos Speaks On UFC 308 Injury: ‘Not How I Wanted To Spend My 40th Birthday…’

The welterweight return and 40th birthday of UFC veteran Rafael Dos Anjos did no go to plan at UFC 308 this past Saturday night. His bout with the #10-ranked Geoff Neal came to an end in just 90 seconds after “RDA” suffered a knee injury that he couldn’t continue from. Neal started the fight incredibly […]

Continue Reading Rafael dos Anjos Speaks On UFC 308 Injury: ‘Not How I Wanted To Spend My 40th Birthday…’ at MMA News.

The welterweight return and 40th birthday of UFC veteran Rafael Dos Anjos did no go to plan at UFC 308 this past Saturday night. His bout with the #10-ranked Geoff Neal came to an end in just 90 seconds after “RDA” suffered a knee injury that he couldn’t continue from.

Neal started the fight incredibly well and was able to drop Dos Anjos early on in the fight. Unfortunately, the second time that the former lightweight champion went down, it was the end of the fight due to an injury which isn’t how anyone would’ve wanted the fight to go.

Despite this, Dos Anjos appears to be in good spirits as evident from his first social media post after the injury. Following consecutive losses to Vicente Luque and Mateusz Gamrot, the Brazilian was hoping to kick off another run at 170-pounds in this fight.

He’ll now be resting up before returning to the drawing board but given everything that he has been through in his career, the 49-fight warrior promises to be back once again.

He posted on Instagram to thank people for their support and tell them that he’s doing okay and is focused on making a return once he’s healthy again.

“Thank you all fight fans for the support, sorry I let you guys down. Definitely it was not how I want to celebrate my 40th birthday, it was a tough loss. During my whole UFC career it’s my second time been hospitalized after a fight, it make me feel blessed, it could been worse, it’s a tough game. Time to heal up, enjoy the family. I’m not done yet, I’ll be back soon. God bless you all. I’ll keep you guys updated on my stories.”

Continue Reading Rafael dos Anjos Speaks On UFC 308 Injury: ‘Not How I Wanted To Spend My 40th Birthday…’ at MMA News.

Rafael dos Anjos Happy With Welterweight Return At UFC 308 After Mammoth 30-Pound Fight Week Cut

Former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos is back up at welterweight this weekend when he faces Geoff Neal at UFC 308. After initially making the move up to 170-pounds back in 2017, “RDA” has returned to 155 on several occasions but that appears to have come to an end. At UFC 299 earlier this year, […]

Continue Reading Rafael dos Anjos Happy With Welterweight Return At UFC 308 After Mammoth 30-Pound Fight Week Cut at MMA News.

Former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos is back up at welterweight this weekend when he faces Geoff Neal at UFC 308. After initially making the move up to 170-pounds back in 2017, “RDA” has returned to 155 on several occasions but that appears to have come to an end.

At UFC 299 earlier this year, Dos Anjos faced Mateusz Gamrot in a fight that could have propelled him up the lightweight rankings with a win. Considering the stakes that were hanging in the balance, the Brazilian said in a recent interview with Home of Fight that it made sense to take.

After coming up short against Gamrot, Dos Anjos intends on spending the rest of his days in the UFC as a certified welterweight. When he first went up a weight class, it was due to the brutal weight cuts that he was having to go through in order to hit 155-pounds.

During the interview, the former champ revealed that he was having to cut nearly 30 pounds earlier this year in Miami in order to fight in his former division once again.

Securing a win over the #10-ranked Neal in Abu Dhabi this weekend will be the justification that Dos Anjos needs in order to remain at welterweight.

“Just try to make weight is hell man. I’m 195 right now three weeks away from the fight and I’m in good shape, you know. I’m not in a bad shape and I’m not fat, I’m in a good shape and it’s just too hard man. My last lightweight camp, the whole camp like even on the fight week, I was 185, I couldn’t get below that. The lightest that I got during the fight camp was 184 and man, I’m 39-years old, I have the title before and that’s not what I want for my life.”

Continue Reading Rafael dos Anjos Happy With Welterweight Return At UFC 308 After Mammoth 30-Pound Fight Week Cut at MMA News.

Ian Garry scores uneventful decision win over Geoff Neal in return, remains unbeaten – UFC 298 Highlights

Ian Garry lands uneventful decision win over Geoff Neal in return remains unbeaten UFC 298Unbeaten welterweight contender, Ian Garry is likely set to land within the top-10 of the official divisional rankings come…

Ian Garry lands uneventful decision win over Geoff Neal in return remains unbeaten UFC 298

Unbeaten welterweight contender, Ian Garry is likely set to land within the top-10 of the official divisional rankings come Tuesday next week, turning in a split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27) win over Geoff Neal in the pair’s rescheduled clash on the main card of UFC 298 in Anaheim, California.

Garry, who improves to 14-0 with tonight’s victory against Dana White’s Contender Series alum, Neal, circled throughout the Octagon over the course of his three round clash with the Texan striker.

Turning in his fourth straight victory since March of last year, Portmarnock striker, Garry managed to counter Neal when the above-mentioned pressed him to the Octagon fence over and over.

And echoing calls throughout the entirety of fight week during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Garry called for a clash with former interim welterweight champion, Colby Covington — staking his claim for a bout in the co-main event of a card featuring an eluvise bout between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler.

Below, catch the highlights from Ian Garry’s win at UFC 298

UFC 298’s Ian Garry has no time for online haters and keyboard warriors: ‘I’m gonna live my life and do the way I want’

Ian GarryDespite all the hateful messages he receives online, Ian Garry has yet to meet a single fight fan in…

Ian Garry

Despite all the hateful messages he receives online, Ian Garry has yet to meet a single fight fan in person who had anything negative to say about him.

On Saturday night, February 17, ‘The Future’ will return to the Octagon for a rescheduled showdown with fellow top-10 welterweight contender Geoff Neal after their first meeting at UFC 292 in August fell through. Leading up to their previously scheduled scrap, Garry drew the ire of fans and fighters alike after he was spotted sporting and selling t-shirts with Neal’s mugshot stemming from a 2021 arrest screen printed on the front.

Things seemed to snowball from there, particularly after former middleweight champion Sean Strickland targeted Garry’s 40-year-old wife — Layla Anna-Lee — after discovering that she had once written a book for older women hoping to date young athletes and celebrities. Anna-Lee is 14 years older than Garry. That revelation prompted Strickland to call in a “predator” and a “succubus” in a series of scathing rants.

Fighters including Leon Edwards, Colby Covington, and even Michael Chandler continued to pour it on Garry, revealing the constant struggles of trying to work alongside the up-and-comer in the gym.

A quick social media search and a scan of recent headlines will immediately give you the impression that Ian Garry is one of the most hated men in all of MMA. But speaking with ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, ‘The Future’ revealed that the love and support he’s received from fight fans around the world has never been stronger.

“On Instagram and all of this stuff in the comments on Twitter,” Garry said. “All the negativity and all the hate, it’s only online. I’ve not met a single fan in person that has said one thing of hate. Not one. I’ve gone to Brazil. Different continents. I’ve gone to Europe. I’ve gone to America. South America. I’ve been recognized more than ever. I’ve been given the warmest welcomes more than ever. I can’t go down the street in the countryside in England in the middle of nowhere without someone going, ‘Holy sh*t!’

“We drove down California, there’s people here jumping out of cars trying to get a photo with me. This is nuts! I’m getting more recognized and more love in person than I ever have. It’s only online and it’s a small minority of people that hate and hate with such aggression. And the truth is, they’re all the Sean Strickland fans. They’re all the people that, truth is, they have a f*ck ton of trauma and nowhere else to spread it except online behind a laptop because they hate their life and they hate their past.

“I have no time for that. I love my life. I love what I’m surrounded by. I love the people I get to meet every day and that’s it. That’s what’s important to me. I’m gonna live my life and do the way I want to and have fun.”

Ian Garry remains decent betting favorite to beat Geoff Neal in UFC 298 grudge fight in Anaheim

Ian Garry betting favorite to beat Geoff Neal at UFC 298 in AnaheimUnbeaten welterweight contender, Ian Garry has opened and still remains a distinct betting favorite to beat his incoming rival,…

Ian Garry betting favorite to beat Geoff Neal at UFC 298 in Anaheim

Unbeaten welterweight contender, Ian Garry has opened and still remains a distinct betting favorite to beat his incoming rival, Geoff Neal in their UFC 298 grudge fight this weekend, with the Dubliner drifting as a bigger favorite closer to the bout.

Garry, the current number ten ranked welterweight contender, has been sidelined since August of last year, most recently turning in a one-sided unanimous decision win over the division’s most-winningest fighter, Neil Magny in a judging shutout at UFC 292 in Boston.

As for Neal, the Texan has been sidelined himself since he featured at UFC 285 back in March, suffering an eventual third round standing rear-naked choke submission loss to the undefeated, Shavkat Rakhmonov in the pair’s main card showdown.

Ian Garry remains favorite to beat Geoff Neal at UFC 298

And initially opening as a betting favorite to beat Neal, Ian Garry is currently riding a -218 betting favorite over the former – who is a current +180 betting underdog – with Tipps.gg available to fans who are interested in betting on a host of cards this year, with the site also set to implement separate sections on MMA analytics, as well as their very own predictions ahead of events. 

Forced from a slated return to the Octagon at UFC 296 back in December, Portmarnock striker, Garry withdrew from a planned return against Kill Cliff FC training partner, Vicente Luque at the end-of-year card, as he suffered from pneumonia during fight week.

And quickly rebooked amid his battle with illness, the outspoken Garry, who remains steadfast that he will defeat Neal in their rescheduled pairing – makes his comeback at UFC 298 this weekend in Anaheim, California. 

Expecting to land a dominant win over the Dana White’s Contender Series alum, Neal, former Team KF trainee, Garry boldly claimed he would likely stop the striker with a body kick – and leave him resembling a dog defecating in the process of finishing him.

“What am I going to finish him (Geoff Neal) with?” Ian Garry said. “I am going to make him quit. He’ll choose when he’s done. I’d like to kick him to the body and have him do that – when the dog is sh*tting.”

“The dog looks at you like – when they’re pooing, for protection,” Ian Garry explained. “That’s what they do, right? [They] look at their owners when they’re pooing because that’s when they’re vulnerable for attack.”

Enjoying a roughshod run throughout the welterweight ranks since his Octagon debut back in 2022, Garry, a former Cage Warriors welterweight titleholder, has so-far enjoyed an impressive promotional-perfect run of six straight fights – notably taking out the likes of Song Kenan and Daniel Rodriguez with knockout victories, to go with his August win over Magny.

Making his debut under the Dana White-led banner back in 2018, the highly-touted Neal has himself turned in numerous high-profile triumphs during his UFC stint, including wins over the likes of Niko Price, Mike Perry, Santiago Ponzinibbio, the aforenoted, Luque, and the surging – expected next title challenger, Belal Muhammad – taking home a unanimous decision win over the Illinois native. 

Who wins at UFC 298 this weekend: Geoff Neal or Ian Garry?