In Irvine, California, Geoff Neal remains focused on his upcoming fight, undeterred by his opponent’s previous actions. Neal’s ultimate career aspiration is to become the UFC champion, and he sees this fight as a stepping stone towards achieving that goal. After their initial matchup fell through in August at UFC 292, Neal (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is set to face Ian Machado Garry on the main card of UFC 298 at Honda Center in Anaheim. During their first encounter, Garry (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) wore a t-shirt displaying Neal’s mugshot, which garnered negative reactions from some fans. However, Neal remains unaffected by these antics and does not draw any additional motivation from his opponent’s past actions.
Neal shared, “… During fight week, I’m emotionally detached. I enter the cage with a clear mind, solely focused on executing my game plan.”
The fact that Neal is even able to compete in the octagon is a testament to his resilience. He faced a life-threatening situation in 2020 when he battled COVID-19 and sepsis, which required an ICU stay. Since then, Neal has encountered health challenges that occasionally impacted his training routine. However, as he approaches his sixth fight post-hospitalization, Neal has made significant adjustments to prioritize his long-term career prospects.
“I’ve had to prioritize the finer details, such as my diet and sleep. Previously, I neglected the importance of supplements, but now I’ve incorporated them into my routine. I’ve completely revamped my approach and am doing things the right way,” Neal explained.
Neal is determined to bounce back from his previous loss, a Fight of the Night clash against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 285 eleven months ago. This defeat halted Neal’s momentum following consecutive victories over Santiago Ponzinibbio and Vicente Luque.
Now facing another undefeated prospect, Neal believes that a win against Garry will position him favorably for a welterweight title shot by the end of 2024. This has been his career objective since day one.
“I don’t typically think too far ahead, but realistically, if I win this fight in a remarkable fashion and secure one or two more victories, I’ll be ready for the belt. I could potentially achieve that by the end of this year,” Neal projected.
He added, “Since the day I stepped into the MMA gym with my coach, my ultimate goal has always been to become the UFC champion. I’m here now, and I can sense it. I can almost taste it. That’s what I’m striving for.”
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com