Media Geoff Neal answers Shavkat's callout

[Bowel-forged Stool]

That’s the way it should be done

 

[drbolony]

Do they make cups big enough for this guy? Luque to this? What an animal! Obviously favoring Shakvat, but I respect the nuts on Neal. From waiter to going toe to toe with the scariest dudes in the historically (not current) most stacked division in MMA.

 

[Adebisi]

Good for Neal for accepting. Shavkat wins this one with ease. Luque might be the most overrated fighter on the roster, I don’t know why people keep citing that as an impressive W.

 

[Islam Imamate]

I feel like Geoff has improved and he seems to have found the sweet spot when it comes to controlled agression. It's very difficult to put Vicente away.

He also seems more confident. Fighters turn the corner sometimes. An excellent example is Charles Oliveira.

I hope you're right about the fight though. I like both guys, but I wanna see Shavkat do really well.

I disagree, I think he just matched up well with Luque. Luque is there to be hit and Neal does a good job with his lancing left straights so it was there all night for him. Shavkat won't be there to hit and will offer a serious grappling threat that Luque doesn't.

 

[Phisher]

I feel like Geoff has improved and he seems to have found the sweet spot when it comes to controlled agression. It's very difficult to put Vicente away.

He also seems more confident. Fighters turn the corner sometimes. An excellent example is Charles Oliveira.

I hope you're right about the fight though. I like both guys, but I wanna see Shavkat do really well.

Neal pretty easily dealt with Belal's aggressive wrestling game, but got stuck in the clinch with Magny.

I really don't think that he was in a good place during the pandemic when he had all of those health issues. IMO He went through a rough patch and is being grossly underestimated now.

 

[Mammothman]

Geoff could not even beat Magny, I don't want to use MMA math but I I'm not sold as Geoff as a top guy, Shavkat is a future champ for sure.

 

[asdf122345]

Hands of steel

 

[StonedLemur]

I just got erect when I read that.
Now there's a damn good fight.

 

[Mesos]

Got Shavkat but I think Neal has a chance, especially early on when his hands are extra sharp.

 

[Oz.Pride]

Shav by pure domination and easy finish R1 or 2

 

[StonedLemur]

Geoff could not even beat Magny, I don't want to use MMA math but I I'm not sold as Geoff as a top guy, Shavkat is a future champ for sure.

Geoff has nice straight clean punches and his kicks are hard, but he lacks the other skills you need to be a top guy if I'm being honest sir.

 

[Paul E Gensinger]

I feel like Geoff has improved and he seems to have found the sweet spot when it comes to controlled agression. It's very difficult to put Vicente away.

He also seems more confident. Fighters turn the corner sometimes. An excellent example is Charles Oliveira.

I hope you're right about the fight though. I like both guys, but I wanna see Shavkat do really well.

The Oliviera thing is so rare I can't even think of other examples.
I love the rank jumping in this fight.
When a fighter has obvious talent the rankings can be somewhat set aside.
When he destroys poor Neil it will be really hard for him to get fights.
Maybe loser of Belal/Brady.

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Shavkat via being well rounded... if Neal gets the better of the striking Rakhmanov will grapplefuck him.

 

[BEATDOWNS]

see you sum boi

 

[Reign009]

The Oliviera thing is so rare I can't even think of other examples.
I love the rank jumping in this fight.
When a fighter has obvious talent the rankings can be somewhat set aside.
When he destroys poor Neil it will be really hard for him to get fights.
Maybe loser of Belal/Brady.

It's not rare, it's just one of the strongest examples.

And as far as the rank jumping goes, I was talking about Khamzat, not Shavkat.

 

[Paul E Gensinger]

It's not rare, it's just one of the strongest examples.

And as far as the rank jumping goes, I was talking about Khamzat, not Shavkat.

I'm saying I'm ok with Shavkat getting a similar jump.

 

[Reign009]

I'm saying I'm ok with Shavkat getting a similar jump.

Shavkat is working his way up just fine.

It's not like Khamzat who didn't fight well rounded opponents, had one fight against a ranked guy (who has no grappling) and then fought the number 2 guy.

 

[Phisher]

Geoff could not even beat Magny, I don't want to use MMA math but I I'm not sold as Geoff as a top guy, Shavkat is a future champ for sure.

Yeah, you do, and since you brought it up:

Neal > Luque > Chiesa > Magny
Neal > Ponzinibbio > Magny
Neal > Belal > Maia > Magny

People seem to be completely ignoring the fact that the Magny fight was not long after Neal went into septic shock and near kidney and heart failure, and that he's looked a lot better since then.

There's no way in hell that the guy who easily stuffed all of Belal's TDs and maintained separation to strike was the same as the guy who looked helpless in Magny's clinch.

ETA This doesn't mean that I think Shavkat is an easy match up for him or that I'm picking Neal to win. My point is that a healthy Neal is easily the most dangerous guy that Shavkat has fought so far.