With win over Belal Muhammad, Geoff Neal deserves to fight up

Geoff Neal has been hovering across the high of the UFC’s welterweight rankings for a number of years. Given the present panorama of the division, Fortis MMA head coach Sayif Saud believes he’s simply a few fights away from a title shot.

Neal (16-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) made a long-lasting impression in his 2017 Dana White’s Contender Sequence efficiency. He was signed to the UFC and ripped off 5 straight wins. Included in that blend was a unanimous choice win over the present champion, Belal Muhammad.

“Geoff is an explosive man; he knocks folks out, he’s thrilling,” Saud instructed MMA Junkie. “His win over Belal clearly ages effectively. It’s the final time Belal misplaced, and Belal fought good that evening. Belal’s wonderful. Geoff is simply – when he’s on level, I don’t know if there’s anybody like him. Look, he’s had some unbelievable fights, and I’d like to see him combat Gilbert (Burns) or combat Colby (Covington) or combat a type of different guys and get his shot.”

Since that preliminary burst by means of the division, Neal has produced blended outcomes in opposition to the highest names at welterweight. Nonetheless, merely taking a look at his file wouldn’t provide the full story. Neal handled critical well being issues outdoors of the cage that almost price him way more than his profession.

Saud believes Neal hasn’t been at his greatest in a few of his most up-to-date appearances that led to a 3-4 file since beginning 5-0 within the UFC, however has nonetheless managed to provide the hardest names on his schedule some extremely powerful battles.

“We noticed his combat with Shavkat (Rakhmonov) – he was not wholesome for that combat,” Saud stated. “In hindsight, I have a look at that combat, and I’m like, man, that combat was life and dying. The Ian Garry combat was tremendous shut, you already know? And it was a bizarre combat. To not take any credit score away from him, it wasn’t like ‘wow.’ These are the 2 guys who simply fought. Tremendous shut combat on the high, and the man that’s the champ, he has a win over.

“So, I simply really feel like he’s very related within the division, however he’s gotta get an enormous win in opposition to a type of high guys, and a type of guys gotta give him a shot. Sean Brady’s making an attempt to name these guys up in entrance, I’d simply, you already know Geoff fought again a number of instances. I wish to see him combat up and simply get another shot at going for the gold. Belal gained it at an older age with quite a lot of respect and arduous work. I really feel like I’d simply like to see Geoff get again up there.”

Neal’s final efficiency was a TKO win over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 308 in October. The win snapped a two-fight skid that included a Combat of the Night time submission loss to Rakhmonov and a cut up choice loss to Ian Machado Garry. Whereas he doesn’t have a combat on the books but, Saud desires to see his fighter get one other crack at preventing increased ranked opponents slightly than getting suck all the time preventing guys trying to crack into the highest of the division.

“I simply need to see him at his greatest, and that’s thrilling I feel for everyone,” Saud stated. “It’s not even, ‘He deserves a title shot.’ Folks say that, it’s like, man, when you lose, you fall again down on that totem pole. You gotta win. But when Geoff knocks two folks out, folks will need to see him combat for the title. He’s a type of guys that would do this.

“We’ll see what the UFC has. I wish to see him combat up since he simply fought again. After which he may combat again as these younger guys are coming in, (Carlos) Prates and all these killers – and I feel these are good fights too. However he’ll by no means go wherever if he’s all the time preventing the up and coming man. He’s fought everyone. He’s fought Shavkat, he’s fought Ian Garry, he’s fought ‘Wonderboy,’ he’s fought Belal, Vicente – he’s actually fought ’em all. He’s a man I wish to see get an opportunity to go up.”