Geoff Neal

Geoff Neal (born August 28, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of March 12, 2024, he is #10 in the UFC welterweight rankings.

Background
Neal was born in Austin, Texas, United States. He played football at private university Texas Lutheran. However, he did not like the football program there and transitioned to compete in MMA, coached under Sayif Saud.

Early career
Neal made his amateur debut in 2010, a second-round win by knockout against Bobby Hernandez. He competed in a total of 7 amateur matches, ending with a 6–1 amateur record. Before being signed by the UFC, Neal competed in a total of 10 mixed martial arts matches, winning 8 and losing 2 of them.

Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series
Neal appeared on Dana White's Contender Series 3 and faced Chase Waldon. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round and was signed by the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship
Neal made his promotional debut on February 18, 2018, against Brian Camozzi at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Medeiros. He won the bout via submission in the first round.

Neal next faced Frank Camacho on September 8, 2018, at UFC 228. He won the fight via knockout in the second round.

Neal faced Belal Muhammad on January 19, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Neal faced Niko Price on July 27, 2019, at UFC 240. He won the fight via technical knockout in round two. This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Neal faced Mike Perry on December 14, 2019, at UFC 245. He won the fight via first-round technical knockout.

Neal was expected to face Neil Magny on August 29, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 175. However, Neal withdrew from the event due to health issues and he was replaced by Robbie Lawler.

Neal faced Stephen Thompson on December 19, 2020, in the headliner of UFC Fight Night 183. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Neal faced Neil Magny at UFC on ESPN 24 on May 8, 2021. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Neal faced Santiago Ponzinibbio on December 11, 2021, at UFC 269. He won the back-and-forth bout via split decision. 10 out of 14 media scores gave it to Neal.

Neal faced Vicente Luque on August 6, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 40. He won the fight via knockout in round three. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Neal was scheduled to face Shavkat Rakhmonov on January 14, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 217. However, on December 29, Neal pulled out due to undisclosed injury. The pair was rescheduled for UFC 285 on March 4, 2023. At the weigh-ins on March 3, Neal weighed in at 175 pounds, 4 pounds over the non-title welterweight limit. As a result, the bout proceeded as a catchweight and Neal was fined 30% of his fight purse, which went to Rakhmonov. He lost the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the third round. Despite his failure to make weight, UFC president Dana White was so pleased with the fight and impressed with Neal's outing that Neal still received his share of the Fight of the Night award.

Neal was scheduled to face Ian Machado Garry at UFC 292 on August 19, 2023. However, Neal withdrew due to undisclosed health reasons, and was replaced by Neil Magny. A bout with Garry was rescheduled and took place on February 17, 2024, at UFC 298. Neal lost in a competitive bout by split decision.

Championships and accomplishments

 * Ultimate Fighting Championship
 * Performance of the Night (two times) vs. Niko Price and Vicente Luque
 * Fight of the Night (one time) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
 * MMAJunkie.com
 * 2019 Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year

Personal life
Neal worked as a server at a Texas Roadhouse in Dallas for ten years until his fight with Mike Perry in late 2019. In June 2020, Neal revealed he had returned to his job as a server after failing to get fights scheduled.

In August 2020, Neal revealed he went into septic shock after suffering from an unspecified infection. Neal was admitted to the intensive care unit where it was determined he was also experiencing congestive heart and kidney failure. After taking some time to recover, Neal resumed his mixed martial arts career in December 2020.

On November 25, 2021, Neal was arrested in Collin County, Texas on charges of driving under the influence and unlawful possession of a firearm, two misdemeanors. He was later released from jail on $2,000 bond.