Geoff Neal
Active 2018–present · rated in 3 editions · peak overall 82.0
Scouting report
Scoring knockout victories over top contenders Belal Muhammad, Niko Price, and Vicente Luque, Geoff "Handz of Steel" Neal rose from Dana White's Contender Series into a welterweight puncher. Fighting out of Austin, Texas and training under Sayif Saud at Fortis MMA, Neal's southpaw straight left and takedown defense are reflected in an 88 Boxing rating and 85 Strength.
Peak ratings
By edition
Neal lost to Stephen Thompson over five rounds in December 2020 and to Neil Magny over three in May 2021, both in Las Vegas, before scoring a split-decision victory over Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 269 in Madison Square Garden. His southpaw 1-2 straight left, head kicks, and takedown defense are reflected in an 87 Boxing and 80 Wrestling.
In August 2022 in Las Vegas, Neal knocked out Vicente Luque in round three, before losing by third-round submission to undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 285 in Las Vegas and by split decision to Ian Machado Garry at UFC 298 in Anaheim. His punching power and defensive sprawl anchor his 88 Boxing and 82 Kickboxing.
Geoff Neal and the Austin football player who traded pads for a cage
Geoff Neal was born in Austin, Texas, and played football at Texas Lutheran before switching to MMA under coach Sayif Saud. He had a 6-1 amateur record and eight wins in ten early professional fights. A first-round TKO of Chase Waldon on Dana White's Contender Series 3 got him signed, and he started his run with a first-round submission of Brian Camozzi and a second-round knockout of Frank Camacho.
How to read Neal's ratings
Boxing. His best at 88. He knocked out Vicente Luque in round three in 2022 and stopped Mike Perry in round one in 2019.
Kickboxing. Good at 82. His finishes have come from punches, with the kicks as a supporting piece.
Wrestling. Solid at 81. He has been able to defend well enough to keep fighting on his feet.
BJJ. The lowest at 72. He did submit Brian Camozzi in the first round on debut, but the ground is not how he wins.
Strength. Strong at 85. He knocked out Frank Camacho in round two and Luque in round three.
Durability. Reasonable at 83. He fought Stephen Thompson in December 2020 and lost a unanimous decision.
Cardio. Good at 82. He beat Santiago Ponzinibbio by split decision in 2021 in a back-and-forth fight.
Fight IQ. Good at 80. He lost to Neil Magny by unanimous decision in 2021 but beat Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision in 2019.
His hands are the reason to draft him: Boxing
Boxing at 88 is the top rating. He stopped Niko Price in round two in July 2019, stopped Mike Perry in round one that December, and knocked out Vicente Luque in round three in 2022. All three of those wins came against tough opponents, and two of them earned Performance of the Night bonuses. If a fight stays standing and he lands cleanly, he has few peers at welterweight.
The mat is his problem: BJJ
BJJ at 72 is the lowest of the eight. He beat Camozzi by submission in his debut, but his losses to Stephen Thompson and Neil Magny in 2020 and 2021 came by unanimous decision, and Ian Garry beat him by split decision in a competitive fight in 2024. Against a strong grappler who can nullify his striking, he will need his wrestling defense and his power to keep the fight standing.
Keep exploring
Closest welterweight profiles to Geoff Neal, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Darren Tillbest boxing 88 · weakest bjj 72
- Santiago Ponzinibbiobest boxing 88 · weakest bjj 76
- Thiago Alvesbest kickboxing 88 · weakest bjj 72
- Michel Pereirabest kickboxing 86 · weakest bjj 80
- Welterweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Geoff Neal's strongest attribute, Boxing.
Draft Geoff Neal into your build
Geoff Neal enters the pool on any spin landing on welterweight between 2020 and present. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Geoff Neal is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Geoff Neal's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.