A health scare has forced Geoff Neal
out of a proposed welterweight clash against Neil Magny at
a UFC event on Aug. 29.
As a result, Robbie
Lawler will step in and replace Neal in the bout. MMA
DNA was first to report the new matchup, which has since been
confirmed by multiple outlets. Neal, meanwhile, shared the news of
his hospitalization in an Instagram post.
“These past few weeks have been crazy, and that’s putting it
lightly,” Neal wrote. “It’s really hard to try to find an eloquent
way to say ‘I almost died.’ So screw it.. I almost died … This
really put a lot of things into perspective for me.
“Never did I ever think I would be hooked up to a dialysis machine
before my 30s. Everything was going well for me. Was training
everyday, making money at work, just signed a contract for a huge
fight, then BOOM, life hit me with a check hook. I’m just glad to
be home after having to spend one week in the ICU. Stay healthy out
there y’all and listen to your body at all times.”
Lawler, 38, enters the fight with Magny on a three-bout skid. The
former welterweight champion last appeared at UFC on ESPN 5, where
he dropped a five-round verdict to Colby
Covington in August 2019.
Magny has been victorious in four of his last five promotional
appearances. Most recenty, the Elevation Fight Team member
outpointed Anthony
Rocco Martin at UFC 250 on June 9.
The UFC Fight Night card is expected to take place at the UFC Apex
in Las Vegas and also includes a light heavyweight showdown between
Anthony
Smith and Aleksandar
Rakic.