While Geoff Neal was quite competitive against Neil Magny at UFC on ESPN 24, he simply lacked the overall volume and cage command to get the job done against a crafty veteran opponent.
That resulted in a unanimous decision defeat on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas — Neal’s second consecutive setback in the Octagon. The man known as “Handz of Steel” began his promotional tenure with five straight victories before being hospitalized and forced to pull out of a clash against Magny at UFC Fight Night 175 in August 2020. Since then, he has dropped back-to-back contests against Stephen Thompson and Magny.In a post on his Instagram account, Neal said he probably needs to take some time away from the sport to allow his body to fully recover.
“Well there goes another one. Felt really good in the first round and the second one was close,” Neal said. “Even in defeat I'm still proud of this one as well. It was another honor to step in there with another crafty vete…