Tag: Geoff Neal

UFC 298 ‘Embedded,’ No. 6: ‘I’m going to make history tomorrow night’

In the final installment of UFC 298 “Embedded,” fighters step on the official scale and have their final staredowns before fight night.

The UFC is back for its second pay-per-view of 2024, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

In the main event, UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) attempts another successful title defense, this time against [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC). Middleweight contenders [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) face off in a long-awaited showdown in the co-main event.

Also on the card, a grudge match between [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) finally materializes after [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and [autotag]Merab Dvalishivili[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) jostle for position atop the bantamweight division.

The sixth and final episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

“Athletes weigh in and UFC 298 is set: champ Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria, Robert Whittaker vs Paulo Costa, Geoff Neal vs Ian Machado Garry, Merab Dvalishvilli vs Henry Cejudo and more.”

Also see:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

UFC 298 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Inside Merab Dvalishvili’s room as he suits up for the press conference

In the fifth installment of UFC 298 “Embedded,” Merab Dvalishvili makes sure he’s sharply dressed for his press conference appearance.

The UFC is back for its second pay-per-view of 2024, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

In the main event, UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) attempts another successful title defense, this time against [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC). Middleweight contenders [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) face off in a long-awaited showdown in the co-main event.

Also on the card, a grudge match between [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) finally materializes after [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and [autotag]Merab Dvalishivili[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) jostle for position atop the bantamweight division.

The fifth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

“Champ Alex Volkanovski trains. Robert Whittaker and Henry Cejudo talk to the broadcast team. Merab Dvalishvili suits up for the presser. Whittaker faces off with Paulo Costa; Volkanovski dozes as Ilia Topuria eyes his belt.”

Also see:

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Video: UFC 298 press conference faceoffs with Whittaker-Costa, Neal-Garry, Dvalishvili-Cejudo

The stacked UFC 298 main card engaged in faceoffs following Thursday’s pre-fight press conference.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The UFC 298 pre-fight press conference went down Thursday and it was the initial opportunity to get a look at fighter staredowns for the second numbered event of 2024.

The card, which is headlined by a featherweight title bout between [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) and [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), goes down Saturday at Honda Center with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

In addition to the main event, a stacked slate of matchups round out the undercard. That includes [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) vs. [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) vs. [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) vs. [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) vs. [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC).

All five pairings were in attendance at the pre-fight press conference, where they answered questions and engaged in faceoffs.

Check out the video above to see all the staredowns.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

UFC 298 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4: Chef Alexander Volkanovski serves team despite cutting weight

On the fourth episode of UFC 298 “Embedded,” Alexander Volkanovski flexes his cooking skills and his will power while cutting weight.

The UFC is back for its second pay-per-view of 2024, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

In the main event, UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) attempts another successful title defense, this time against [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC). Middleweight contenders [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) face off in a long-awaited showdown in the co-main event.

Also on the card, a grudge match between [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) finally materializes after [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and [autotag]Merab Dvalishivili[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) jostle for position atop the bantamweight division.

The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

“Merab Dvalishvili hits the open road. Paulo Costa refuses to rest. Champ Alexander Volkanovski cooks. Dvalishvili offers Aljo a new job. Robert Whittaker chats with Ian Garry Machado and Michael Bisping; Ilia Topuria feels out the belt.”

Also see:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Ian Machado Garry: I have ‘zero regrets’ making T-shirt with Geoff Neal’s mugshot

Ian Machado Garry says he doesn’t regret printing Geoff Neal’s mugshot on T-shirts.

IRVINE, Calif. – [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] has no regret about the infamous T-shirt he made with [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]’s mugshot.

While some suggested Garry (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) went too far with his antics, the Irishman insists he was well within the normal boundaries of trash talk and has no regret for his actions.

Garry and Neal (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC), who fight this Saturday at UFC 298, were originally supposed to fight in August at UFC 292. However, Neal withdrew from the fight a few weeks prior and Garry went on to fight and beat late replacement Neil Magny.

Weeks before the cancellation, Garry posted a photo wearing a T-shirt with Neal’s mugshot from a 2021 DUI.

“The T-shirt was a f*cking laugh, and it worked,” Garry said at Wednesday’s UFC 298 media day. “He didn’t show up, and I believe he was pissed for that first fight and didn’t show up because of the T-shirt.

“Look, I have zero regrets for making that T-shirt. It was funny. The truth is that no one knew who Geoff was. No one knew the fight was booked until I made the T-shirt, and then everybody started talking about it. We’re in the fight game, and we’re trying to sell fights and entertain. After that point, everybody knew about it. Before that, no one knew.”

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Garry enters this weekend’s event full of confidence. He believes he will outclass Neal and get close to his dream of becoming UFC welterweight champion.

“I feel like, look, Geoff is a phenomenal fighter,” Garry said. “He’s tough, he’s durable, and he’s been in the game for a while and fought the best guys in the world. However, I don’t believe anyone is as fast as me or as technical as I am or has as much in the arsenal as I do.

“For me, it’s just a matter of time until he makes a mistake. I expect Geoff to be tough and be there for all 15 minutes, unless I do my job well and I make him make that mistake.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Geoff Neal not motivated by Ian Machado Garry’s past antics: UFC 298 ‘fight is about me’

Geoff Neal is solely focused on achieving his goal of becoming a UFC champion, and Ian Machado Garry is “just another body” in the way.

IRVINE, Calif. – Despite his opponent’s past antics, [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] is solely focused on the task at hand, which will ultimately lead him closer to his career goal of becoming UFC champion.

After their first booking fell apart in August at UFC 292, Neal (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will meet Ian Machado Garry on the main card of UFC 298 at Honda Center in Anaheim. The first time around, Garry (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) wore a t-shirt with Neal’s mugshot, which rubbed some fans the wrong way. Despite Garry’s attempts to get under his skin, Neal doesn’t find any added motivation from the things his opponent has done in the past.

“It’s motivation no matter what,” Neal told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “Ian Garry aside, this fight is not about Ian Garry. This fight is about me. I want to win, I want to be a champ, and he’s just in the way. It’s just another body.”

“… During fight week, I’m cold. I don’t have any emotion right now. I’m just going to hop in that cage and do what I do.”

Just making it to the cage to continue his fighting career has been an impressive feat in itself. Neal was on death’s door after dealing with COVID-19 and a serious case of sepsis in 2020 that led to a stay in the ICU. Health issues have prompted issues in the training room from time to time since then, but heading into his sixth fight since being hospitalized, Neal says he has made more changes to ensure his career longevity.

“I had to really just dial in and focus on the little things, the little details like my diet, my sleep,” Neal said. “I used to not take supplements. I’ve been taking supplements now. I’ve just been doing everything the right way, not just doing it how I used to do it.”

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Neal is looking to rebound from a Fight of the Night battle against Shavkat Rakhmonov 11 months ago at UFC 285. The submission loss halted Neal’s momentum of back-to-back wins against Santiago Ponzinibbio and Vicente Luque.

Now with another undefeated prospect in his path, he believes a win against Garry will put him in a great position to fight for the welterweight title by the end of 2024, which has been his career goal from the beginning.

“I don’t usually think too far ahead, but realistically, I win this fight in spectacular fashion, one or two more fights, and then the belt,” Neal said. “I could probably knock that out by the end of the year.

“… The main goal since the day I started and walked into the MMA gym with my coach, the goal was to be the UFC champ. I’m here, and I can smell it. I can taste it. That’s the goal.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Video: UFC 298 media day interviews

Before UFC 298 on Saturday, the main card and prelim fighters are scheduled to speak to reporters at media day.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The UFC 298, which takes place at Honda Center with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+, goes down Saturday.

Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the main card and preliminary are scheduled to speak to reporters Wednesday at media day, and MMA Junkie will be on-site.

Check below for the archived videos of each media day.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

UFC 298 ‘Embedded,’ No. 3: Get up in your feelings, ’cause Geoff Neal’s luggage is all of us

On the third episode of UFC 298 “Embedded,” Geoff Neal arrives and shows off his lucky luggage – taped, but hangin’ in there.

The UFC is back for its second pay-per-view of 2024, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

In the main event, UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) attempts another successful title defense, this time against [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC). Middleweight contenders [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) face off in a long-awaited showdown in the co-main event.

Also on the card, a grudge match between [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) finally materializes after [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and [autotag]Merab Dvalishivili[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) jostle for position atop the bantamweight division.

The third episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

“Champ Alexander Volkanovski and challenger Ilia Topuria train in LA. Geoff Neal chats with former champions. Ian Machado Garry and Henry Cejudo check in; Paulo Costa gets in a sweat.”

Also see:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

UFC 298 pre-event facts: Alexander Volkanovski can make history with post-KO title defense

The best facts and figures about UFC 298, which sees Alexander Volkanovski take on the rare task of a title defense after a knockout loss.

The octagon returns to Anaheim, Calif., for the first time in more than two years and ninth time in its history on Saturday with UFC 298, which goes down at Honda Center with a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

An anticipated featherweight championship bout gets top billing. Champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) returns to the division he rules following a knockout loss to lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev in October when he takes on unbeaten contender [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC 298.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria

UFC 298 ‘Embedded,’ No. 2: ‘This old man’s still going, trust me.’

In the second episode of UFC 298 “Embedded,” champ Alexander Volkanovski promises to prove he’s still got it against Ilia Topuria.

The UFC is back for its second pay-per-view of 2024, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

In the main event, UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) attempts another successful title defense, this time against [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC). Middleweight contenders [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) face off in a long-awaited showdown in the co-main event.

Also on the card, a grudge match between [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) finally materializes after [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and [autotag]Merab Dvalishivili[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) jostle for position atop the bantamweight division.

The second episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

“Ian Machado Garry and Paulo Costa land in LA. Merab Dvalishvilli spars and takes in the Super Bowl with friends. Champ Alexander Volkanovski hits the mats. Ilia Topuria trains with his brother; Robert Whittaker heads to Beneil Dariush’s gym.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.