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#2 Best: Geoff Neal is a man to watch at 170lbs
Coming into UFC 240 Geoff Neal had been on a roll in the UFC, going 3-0 after submitting Brian Camozzi, knocking out Frank Camacho and picking apart the tough Belal Muhammad for a decision. But we hadn’t seen him in deeper waters and for all his potential, there was every chance that the wild Niko Price – an insanely aggressive opponent who hadn’t gone the distance in 8 Octagon appearances – could drown him there.
That wasn’t the case, though. Neal looked to be the sharper striker last night from the off and outside of getting hurt by what looked like a clash of heads, he kept his cool, didn’t let Price draw him into a brawl, and ended up finishing him off with some brutal ground strikes in the second round. On a disappointing night of action, this was maybe the high point on the main card in particular.
With a name like Price now under his belt it’s clear that Neal – who emerged from Dana White’s Contender Series – is a man to watch at 170lbs. He’s got all the tools to succeed at the top and I think the UFC should give him the push to match. Surely a top 15 opponent must be next for him.
