LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.
A product of the rising powerhouse Fortis MMA gym, Neal (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) picked up arguably his biggest victory when he defeated Mike Perry by first-round knockout at UFC 245.
“I feel great about it,” Neal told reporters backstage after the fight. “He’s known as the warrior, the tough guy. I put him away in a minute and 30 (seconds). That should say something about me. People should open their eyes up like, ‘Hey, this dude Geoff, he might be for real.”
After the victory, Neal said he wanted a top 10 opponent. However, the 29-year-old welterweight didn’t want to call anyone out. Neal flipped the script, asking any UFC-ranking member to mention his name if they want to be next in line.
“I want somebody in the top 10,” Neal said. “I don’t know who. That’s one of those things I’m going to sit down and talk to my coaches about. I don’t want to just spread out a name, you know? I got people in mind. I’ve got ideas. But right now, anybody in the top 10. And if somebody wants to call me out in the top 10, feel free to do that.”
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Regardless of the next opponent the UFC throws his way, Neal indicated he’ll feel comfortable taking on anyone – even if it’s a top-five fighter.
“I’m ready to face anybody, honestly,” Neal said. “Whoever is put in front of me, I’m confident in my coaches and my team. They’ll prepare me for any fight.”
With the victory, Neal has won seven straight fights. Undefeated in the UFC, Neal has only gone to the judges’ decision once in his promotional tenure. In addition to Perry, Neal holds wins over Belal Muhammad and Niko Price among others.
The welterweight bout between Neal and Perry closed out the preliminary card at T-Mobile Arena. It aired on ESPN2 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+ and ahead of the main card on pay-per-view.
Check out Neal’s full UFC 245 post-fight media scrum in the video above.
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