"Let's keep the welterweight division great" - Geoff Neal calls for fight against Colby Covington amidst welterweight division chaos

As he sits on the sidelines waiting to face a top-five welterweight opponent, Geoff Neal has taken it into his own hands to call out Colby Covington for a bout with potential title implications on the line for the winner.

'Handz of Steel' silenced many doubters when he put on a striking clinic against the always dangerous Vicente Luque at UFC Fight Night: Hill vs. Santos earlier this month. His damaging left hand caused problems for the Brazilian throughout the fight, eventually putting 'The Silent Assassin' down for good midway through the third round.

With the win spearheading Geoff Neal to No.6 in the welterweight division, he chose to call out Colby Covington on social media as he hopes to one day compete for UFC gold:

"I'm trying to fight Gilbert [Burns] but he's busy chasing after Jorge [Masvidal], who is busy arguing with DC [Daniel Cormier] about a fight he know DAMN WELL he ain't gonna get. I'm trying to get to the belt. Colby Covington what's up? Let's keep the welterweight division great!"

Since Leon Edwards sensationally captured the 170lbs title, Jorge Masvidal has been angling for a fight against the Brit, leaning on his infamous "three piece and a soda" quote from their backstage brawl three years ago.

Colby Covington has been inactive since he was controversially attacked by 'Gamebred' on the streets of Miami, Florida, earlier this year. However, Neal believes this is a fight that the former interim welterweight champion will entertain.

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Is Geoff Neal next for Colby Covington?

Dana White recently announced that Colby Covington is ready to return to action inside the octagon, assuring fans and the media that plans are being put in place for his comeback fight.

With a fresh Geoff Neal callout attached to his name, we could see the 34-year-old 'Chaos' back competing much earlier than expected. The cardio machine is 2-1 in his last three outings, beating Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal, but narrowly losing his second push for UFC gold in the Kamaru Usman rematch at UFC 268.

Covington sits as the No.2-ranked contender at 170lbs. With the majority of high-ranking opponents in the division all booked up, it doesn't leave many options for the MMA Masters representative.

Neal remains one of the standout options for the wrestler to face upon his return, but another viable opponent is the heavy-hitting submission specialist, Gilbert Burns.