IRVINE, Calif. – Regardless of his opponent’s previous antics, Geoff Neal is solely centered on the duty at hand, which is able to finally lead him nearer to his profession objective of changing into UFC champion.
After their first reserving fell aside in August at UFC 292, Neal (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will meet Ian Machado Garry on the primary card of UFC 298 at Honda Middle in Anaheim. The primary time round, Garry (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) wore a t-shirt with Neal’s mugshot, which rubbed some followers the mistaken method. Regardless of Garry’s makes an attempt to get underneath his pores and skin, Neal doesn’t discover any added motivation from the issues his opponent has completed prior to now.
“It’s motivation it doesn’t matter what,” Neal instructed MMA Junkie and different reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “Ian Garry apart, this battle will not be about Ian Garry. This battle is about me. I need to win, I need to be a champ, and he’s simply in the best way. It’s simply one other physique.”
“… Throughout battle week, I’m chilly. I don’t have any emotion proper now. I’m simply going to hop in that cage and do what I do.”
Simply making it to the cage to proceed his preventing profession has been a formidable feat in itself. Neal was on demise’s door after coping with COVID-19 and a severe case of sepsis in 2020 that led to a keep within the ICU. Well being points have prompted points within the coaching room on occasion since then, however heading into his sixth battle since being hospitalized, Neal says he has made extra modifications to make sure his profession longevity.
“I needed to actually simply dial in and concentrate on the little issues, the little particulars like my food plan, my sleep,” Neal mentioned. “I used to not take dietary supplements. I’ve been taking dietary supplements now. I’ve simply been doing every little thing the appropriate method, not simply doing it how I used to do it.”
Neal is seeking to rebound from a Struggle of the Evening battle in opposition to Shavkat Rakhmonov 11 months in the past at UFC 285. The submission loss halted Neal’s momentum of back-to-back wins in opposition to Santiago Ponzinibbio and Vicente Luque.
Now with one other undefeated prospect in his path, he believes a win in opposition to Garry will put him in an excellent place to battle for the welterweight title by the tip of 2024, which has been his profession objective from the start.
“I don’t often suppose too far forward, however realistically, I win this battle in spectacular style, one or two extra fights, after which the belt,” Neal mentioned. “I may in all probability knock that out by the tip of the 12 months.
“… The principle objective because the day I began and walked into the MMA fitness center with my coach, the objective was to be the UFC champ. I’m right here, and I can odor it. I can style it. That’s the objective.”
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