Tag: Geoff Neal

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:

UFC Matchmaking Bulletin (7/29-8/4): Geoff Neal, Rob Font, Robelis Despaigne, & More Get Next Fights

MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to the upcoming cards. With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week. In recent days, a […]

Continue Reading UFC Matchmaking Bulletin (7/29-8/4): Geoff Neal, Rob Font, Robelis Despaigne, & More Get Next Fights at MMA News.

MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to the upcoming cards.

With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

In recent days, a few notable fights were made official by the UFC or reported by reputable sources. For more information on those matchups, check out the links below:

A number of lower-profile matchups also came together. For those, check out this week’s quick hits:

But it wasn’t all positive, with two fights falling through or being adjusted. For those, see below:

Continue Reading UFC Matchmaking Bulletin (7/29-8/4): Geoff Neal, Rob Font, Robelis Despaigne, & More Get Next Fights at MMA News.

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.

[UPDATE] Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal Has New Date

UPDATE: Per ESPN, Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal has been rescheduled for March 4 at UFC 285. [ORIGINAL STORY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 29, 2022, 8:46 AM EST] Rising UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov has directed a shot at Geoff Neal following th…

UPDATE: Per ESPN, Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal has been rescheduled for March 4 at UFC 285. [ORIGINAL STORY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 29, 2022, 8:46 AM EST] Rising UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov has directed a shot at Geoff Neal following the cancellation of their fight. While fans are no doubt eagerly awaiting the UFC’s return…

Continue Reading [UPDATE] Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal Has New Date at MMA News.

Report – Geoff Neal suffers injury, out of UFC Vegas 67 fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov on January 14.

Geoff Neal Shavkat RakhmonovUFC welterweight striker, Geoff Neal has reportedly been forced from his upcoming UFC Vegas 67 co-main event clash with the unbeaten division standout, Shavkat Rakhmonov due to injury, with the promotion currently searching for an opponent to replace Neal and fight Rakhmonov on January 14. According to an initial report from Tass reporter, Igor Lazorin, […]

Geoff Neal Shavkat Rakhmonov

UFC welterweight striker, Geoff Neal has reportedly been forced from his upcoming UFC Vegas 67 co-main event clash with the unbeaten division standout, Shavkat Rakhmonov due to injury, with the promotion currently searching for an opponent to replace Neal and fight Rakhmonov on January 14.

According to an initial report from Tass reporter, Igor Lazorin, Neal has suffered an undisclosed injury ahead of his scheduled January 14. fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov, forcing the tie from the UFC Vegas 67 card entirely.

UFC is actively searching for a replacement fight for Shavkat Rakhmonov

“Shavkat Rakhmonov’s fight against Geoff Nea cancelled,” Igor Lazorin posted on Instagram. Neal came up with an injury. UFC is looking for a replacement. The fight is scheduled for January 134. Shavkat’s new opponent, we are looking for you.” 

In the midst of a two-fight winning run, welterweight kickboxer, Neal managed to recently land a split decision win over Argentine veteran, Santiago Ponzinibbio, to go with an August knockout win over the highly-touted contender, Vicente Luque.

Riding a stunning 16-fight undefeated professional run, Rakhmonov, who boasts a staggering 100% finish rate with eight submissions and a further eight knockout wins, most recently dispatched common-foe, Neil Magny back in June with a guillotine choke win.

A former M-1 Global welterweight champion, Rakhmonov landed in the UFC back in 2020, defeating Alex Oliveira, before recording finishes over both Michal Prazeres, and Carlston Harris ahead of his summer submission win over Magny.

At the time of publication, an official replacement for Texas striker, Neal has yet to be determined by the organization, with Rakhmonov currently sitting as the #10 ranked welterweight in the official division pile following his win over Magny.

UFC Vegas 67 takes place on January 14. from the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada – with a main event fight between former interim middleweight title challenger, Kelvin Gastelum, and the surging, Nassourdine Imavov set to take main event status.

Geoff Neal reacts to opening as a heavy underdog vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov: “When the cage door closes, betting odds mean nothing.”

Geoff Neal, Shavkat RakhmonovGeoff Neal (15-4) returns to action for the UFC’s first event of 2023 when he will take on undefeated phenom, Shavkat Rakhmonov (16-0). This welterweight Co-Main event will be Neal’s first bout since shocking Vicente Luque with a Round 3 TKO in August at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Hill. For that fight, Neal entered […]

Geoff Neal, Shavkat Rakhmonov

Geoff Neal (15-4) returns to action for the UFC’s first event of 2023 when he will take on undefeated phenom, Shavkat Rakhmonov (16-0).

This welterweight Co-Main event will be Neal’s first bout since shocking Vicente Luque with a Round 3 TKO in August at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Hill. For that fight, Neal entered as the underdog, and once again vs. Rakhmonov, Neal sees himself in the same situation. Neal will put his #7 ranking in the division on the line when he takes on the favored, #10 ranked Rakhmonov.

Opening up at +350, Neal is no stranger to being an underdog, and he took some time to speak to James Lynch on Youtube to explain why this has little effect on him:

“I don’t give a damn about betting odds, I’m gonna mess up somebody’s parlays. But it is what it is, I’m not worried about it. At the end of the day when the cage door closes, the betting odds mean nothing.”

Geoff Neal Praises Opponent Shavkat Rakhmonov

Since entering the UFC octagon, Neal’s opponent Rakhmonov is 4-0 earning all victories via a Round 1 or 2 finish. Most recently, Shavkat stopped Neil Magny in June with a late 2nd round Guillotine Choke submission.

Rakhmonov brings a whole new level of threat to the welterweight division, and Geoff Neal is most definitely up for the challenge. Neal praised his opponent’s skillset, while also speaking confidently on why he will prevail:

“He has pretty good striking, decent striking and great cardio, and he’s constantly putting pressure trying to look for a finish. Stylistically, I feel like I’m looking for the same thing…I just feel like I’m faster and stronger and that’s going to come into play during the fight.”

Rakhmonov has been compared to rising star Khamzat Chimaev, and it has been rumored that many fighters in the welterweight division are actively avoiding the undefeated Uzbekistan native. By taking this fight, Geoff Neal shows he is scared of no one.

This Co-Main Event bout is scheduled for 3 rounds, and when asked for his prediction on how the fight will play out, Neal answered:

“It’s either gonna be a 3 round war or I’m gonna get the finish in the 1st or 2nd.”

UFC fans around the world will rejoice when the promotion returns to action on January 14th, 2023, for UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs. Gastelum. Look for this highly anticipated co-main event bout as #7 ranked welterweight Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal will try to achieve the upset, and add a 1 to the loss column of undefeated, #10 ranked Shavkat “Nomad” Rakhmonov.

Watch the quick clip of Neal here: