Tag: Geoff Neal

Report – Irish star Ian Machado Garry set for UFC 292 return in Boston in massive fight against Geoff Neal

Ian Machado Garry set to return at UFC 292 in August against Geoff NealUndefeated Dublin striker, Ian Machado Garry has booked his next Octagon walk for later this summer – drawing welterweight kickboxing talent, Geoff Neal at UFC 292 in August at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Garry, who boasts a 12-0 undefeated professional record, managed to land the #13 rank in the official welterweight pile back […]

Ian Machado Garry set to return at UFC 292 in August against Geoff Neal

Undefeated Dublin striker, Ian Machado Garry has booked his next Octagon walk for later this summer – drawing welterweight kickboxing talent, Geoff Neal at UFC 292 in August at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

Garry, who boasts a 12-0 undefeated professional record, managed to land the #13 rank in the official welterweight pile back in May, earning a Performance of the Night bonus to boot with a stunning first round TKO win over Daniel Rodriguez on the main card of UFC Fight Night Charlotte.

As for Neal, the Texas striker, who himself currently sits at #8 in the official standings at the 170 pound limit, most recently suffered an eventual third round rear-naked choke loss to the undefeated finishing ace, Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 285 back in March.

Ian Machado Garry books UFC 292 return in August against Geoff Neal

News of Ian Machado Garry’s return to the Octagon against Geoff Neal was first reported by RTÉ reporter, Peter Carroll this Wednesday afternoon.

“Ian Machado Garry vs. Geoff Neal at UFC 292,” Carroll tweeted. “The UFC confirmed the booking to @RTEsport today. Could be another big night for Irish MMA at the TD Garden. Never forget McGregor, Pendred and Holohan had a great night there in Jan 2015!” 

Garry, a native of Portmarnock, and a former undisputed welterweight champion under the banner of European promotion, Cage Warriors, has so far enjoyed an undefeated five fight run under the banner of the UFC since landing in the organization back in November 2021.

Turning in back-to-back stoppage wins this year, Garry, who now plys his trade at Kill Cliff FC following a lenghty tenure with Chris Fields and Tom King at Team KF in Swords, Dublin – most recently stopped the aforenoted, Rodriguez with a brutal high kick stoppage, which followed a March third round knockout win over the returning, Song Kenan.

As for Neal, the LFA and Dana White’s Contender Series alum, will attempt to return to decent former against Garry — having previously landed consecutive wins over btoh Santiago Ponzinibbio, and a highlight-reel KO win over Vicente Luque before his defeat to Rakhmonov.

UFC 292 takes place on August 19. from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, with an undisputed bantamweight title fight between champion, Aljamain Sterling, and the current #2 ranked contender, Sean O’Malley expected to take headlining honors. 

Geoff Neal Releases First Statement After Submission Loss To Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 285

UFC welterweight Geoff Neal has reflected on his recent defeat to Shavkat Rakhmonov, promising that he has a lot more to give inside the Octagon. At this past weekend’s pay-per-view, rising Kazakh Rakhmonov took his next step towards stardom with…

UFC welterweight Geoff Neal has reflected on his recent defeat to Shavkat Rakhmonov, promising that he has a lot more to give inside the Octagon. At this past weekend’s pay-per-view, rising Kazakh Rakhmonov took his next step towards stardom with a victory in the spotlight granted by a position on a Jon Jones-headlined card. But…

Continue Reading Geoff Neal Releases First Statement After Submission Loss To Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 285 at MMA News.

Dana White praises Rakhmonov vs. Neal brawl, reveals Neal was paid bonus despite missing weight: “There’s no way in hell I wasn’t gonna give that kid the bonus tonight.”

Shavkat Rakhmonov, Geoff Neal, Dana WhiteDana White has granted Geoff Neal his win bonus, despite him missing weight for his UFC 285 clash with Shavkat Rakhmonov. For the third fight of the thrilling UFC 285 main card, rising undefeated prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov and hard-hitting KO artist Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal engaged in a bloody and vicious war that left […]

Shavkat Rakhmonov, Geoff Neal, Dana White

Dana White has granted Geoff Neal his win bonus, despite him missing weight for his UFC 285 clash with Shavkat Rakhmonov.

For the third fight of the thrilling UFC 285 main card, rising undefeated prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov and hard-hitting KO artist Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal engaged in a bloody and vicious war that left fans in awe. Prior to the bout, Geoff Neal weighed in at 175 lbs, 4 lbs over the welterweight limit. As a result, it was announced that Neal would be fined 30% of his fight purse.

Shavkat Rakhmonov and Geoff Neal FOTN

Rakhmonov and Neal, two fighters known for their high-level striking abilities, went back and forth trading damaging blows over the course of the first two rounds. In the third and final round, Rakhmonov picked up the pace and started to wear down Neal with devastating combinations.

The pressure of Rakhmonov was too much for Neal in the third round as the Kazakhstan native secured a brutal standing rear-naked choke putting Neal to sleep to finish off a hard-earned victory. The previously 9th-ranked welterweight Rakhmonov cemented his contender status in this one and a title shot seems to be a reality in the near future.

Dana White Vows to Pay Geoff Neal Bonus Despite Missing Weight

Traditionally, when a fighter misses weight for a bout this disqualifies them from receiving any bonus after the fact. However, UFC President Dana White made an exception for this absolute war that took place Saturday night.

In the UFC 285 post-fight press conference, Dana White explained how impressed he was with this fight and how he felt that Neal deserved a bonus regardless of the weight situation:

“Well, it’s very rare that you will see me go up into the octagon for a fight that isn’t a title fight. Not just him [Rakhmonov], but Geoff Neal too. Those guys fought their asses off. When you don’t make weight, you don’t get the bonus no matter what happens. There’s no way in hell I wasn’t gonna give that kid [Neal] the bonus tonight. The heart that he showed tonight, the knees that he took, the punches that he fired back with and landed, I mean both guys just fought an absolute dog fight. I love that fight and I have nothing but the utmost respect for both of those guys.”

Even in defeat, Geoff Neal proved that he belongs fighting the best of the best at welterweight and has the heart of a warrior. Shavkat Rakhmonov showed he is the real deal as he remains undefeated with a record of 17-0 all by finish containing 9 submissions and 8 knockouts.

In the post-fight octagon interview, Shavkat called out Colby Covington which is a potential fight with huge implications. With this win, Shavkat got much closer to a potential title shot and looks to continue tearing through the welterweight division on his way there.

Will the UFC and Dana White grant Rakhmonov his wish and match him with Covington next?

UFC 285 Performance Bonus Winners: Which Fighters Won 50K?

UFC 285 was an early contender for the most stacked UFC card of the year, and it delivered an entertaining night of action all throughout the event. The UFC brass had plenty of options to choose from for 50K bonuses, but only a few fighters walked away…

UFC 285 was an early contender for the most stacked UFC card of the year, and it delivered an entertaining night of action all throughout the event. The UFC brass had plenty of options to choose from for 50K bonuses, but only a few fighters walked away from the event with some extra cash. Performances…

Continue Reading UFC 285 Performance Bonus Winners: Which Fighters Won 50K? at MMA News.

Shavkat Rakhmonov puts Geoff Neal to sleep with a standing rear-naked choke in third round – UFC 285 Highlights

Shavkat RakhmonovKazakh standout Shavkat Rakhmonov returned to the Octagon on Saturday night at UFC 285. Emanating from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Rakhmonov looked to keep his undefeated streak and 100% finish rate intact against his toughest test to date. Meeting him inside the cage was No. 7 ranked welterweight, Geoff Neal. ‘Handz of Steel’ walked […]

Shavkat Rakhmonov

Kazakh standout Shavkat Rakhmonov returned to the Octagon on Saturday night at UFC 285. Emanating from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Rakhmonov looked to keep his undefeated streak and 100% finish rate intact against his toughest test to date. Meeting him inside the cage was No. 7 ranked welterweight, Geoff Neal. ‘Handz of Steel’ walked into the bout with back-to-back wins against Santiago Ponzinibbio and Vicente Luque.

Shavkat Rakhmonov quickly got things started with a head kick before clinching with Neal against the fence. Separating, the pair engaged in an entertaining back-and-forth battle on the feet. 90 seconds to go in the opening round, Rakhmonov landed a nasty head kick that caused a cut near Neal’s left eye. Of course, that didn’t stop Neal from continuing to attack, holding his own against Rakhmonov in the opening round.

In the second round, Rakhmonov started to take over as repeated blows to the body began to slow down Neal. Still, Neal was more than willing to engage, keeping Rakhmonov on his toes. Neal picked up the pace in the third, likely knowing he needed a finish to walk out with a win. Neal landed a massive right hand early in the third that stumbled Rakhmonov. Neal’s corner could be heard desperately encouraging Neal to fight with urgency, but his gas tank was quickly depleting. Rakhmanov capitalized on the opportunity and landed a brutal right hand that rocked Neal. Moving in, Rakhmonov targeted the body with a knee that took the wind out of Neal.

With Neal running for cover, Rakhmonov pursued and clinched against the fence. While there, Rakhmonov was able to cinch his arm under Neal’s chin and cranked on it, putting Neal to sleep with just seconds remaining in the third round.

Official Result: Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Geoff Neal via submission (standing rear-naked choke) at 4:17 of Round 3

Check Out Highlights from Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal at UFC 285 Below:

Report – Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov rebooked for UFC 285 on March 4.

Geoff Neal Shavkat RakhmonovA welterweight matchup between division contenders, Geoff Neal, and the undefeated, Shavkat Rakhmonov has been rescheduled for UFC 285 on March 4. at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Initially scheduled to take place this weekend in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 67, Texas striker, Neal was forced to withdraw from his fight […]

Geoff Neal Shavkat Rakhmonov

A welterweight matchup between division contenders, Geoff Neal, and the undefeated, Shavkat Rakhmonov has been rescheduled for UFC 285 on March 4. at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Initially scheduled to take place this weekend in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 67, Texas striker, Neal was forced to withdraw from his fight with the unbeaten Kazakh native, Rakhmonov, citing an undisclosed injury.

And as per an initial report from ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto this Wednesday evening, the matchup between Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov has been rebooked for UFC 285 on March 4. in ‘Sin City’.

Geoff Neal x Shavkat Rakhmonov has been moved to UFC 285 on March 4.

“Welterweight fight between Geoff Neal (@handzofsteelmma) and Shavkat Rakhmonov (@Rakhmonov1994) that was booked for Jan. 14 has been rebooked for UFC 285 on March 4, per sources,” Okamoto tweeted. 

Neal, the current #7 ranked UFC welterweight contender, is riding an impressive winning run of two straight fights, defeating Santiago Ponzinibbio in a split decision win, before stopping Vicente Luque with strikes back in August of this year. The stoppage earned Neal a Performance of the Night bonus. 

Boasting an impressive 16-0 professional record, Rakhmonov has never been the distance during his professional career, landing eight knockout wins to go with a further eight submission victories.

Last time out, Rakhmonov handed a guillotine submission loss to Neil Magny, adding to consecutive finishes over the trio of Carlston Harris, Michel Prazeres, and Alex Oliveira. 

Prior to his Octagon landing back in 2020, Rakhmonov landed the M-1 Global welterweight title, before defending the belt in a TKO win over Tiago Varejao.

UFC 285 takes place on March 4. from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada – with an official headlining fight for the pay-per-view event yet to be determined officially by the promotion. Reports have suggested recently how former two-time light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones may return at the event in a heavyweight division bow.