The UFC is finalizing a fun matchup in the welterweight division. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report today that the promotion was finalizing a matchup between top fifteen contenders Geoff Neal (13-3) and Neil Magny (24-8).
The two welterweights will clash at a UFC Fight Night scheduled for May 8th. Originally, these two were supposed to fight last year, but the fight fell through. Now, these two will finally get a chance to meet inside the octagon.
For Geoff Neal, he will be looking to bounce back from his first UFC loss. Back in December, Neal got his first headlining opportunity when he took on former title challenger, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
Unfortunately for Neal, he was picked apart by Thompson on the feet. However, it is worth noting that Neal was dealing with vision issues for the second half of the fight. Nevertheless, Thompson won and Thompson was fighting injured as well.
Prior to that, Neal was 5-0 in the UFC. In those five wins, only Belal Muhammad was able to go the distance with Neal. This is a big opportunity for Neal to get back on track and jump into the top ten.
UFC bounce back opportunity
Standing across from Neal on May 8th is another welterweight that is looking to bounce back. Neil Magny returned in 2020 and went 3-0 which pushed him into the top ten of the UFC’s welterweight division.
From there, Magny got a shot against Michael Chiesa. The winner of that matchup was poised to inch closer to a title shot. Magny was ultimately dominated by Chiesa and lost a decision.
Now, Magny is looking to bounce back. There had been some initial chatter that Magny would take on Khamzat Chimaev. However, Chimaev will not be ready until July and Magny wanted to stay active. With that, the UFC booked this matchup and it’s a good one that fans should be excited about.