Neil Magny and Geoff Neal‘s bout at UFC on ESPN 24 pitted two top-ten welterweights looking to bounce back from momentum-stopping defeats, in their last Octagon appearances. The victor would return to hopes of top-five matches and rising up the rankings. The loser would receive back-to-back losses and be left fighting to stay in the rankings for their next bout. Magny is on to bigger and better after Saturday night.
Magny looked to play a long-range game early. Working kicks and jabs from distance. However, Neal countered with controlled pressure and landed sniper combos on his opponent. Surprisingly though, Neal was willing to grapple at times against the cage, a position that is preferable for Magny. With a little over a minute left, a scramble from cage clinching led to Magny scoring a takedown temporarily. It was a close round where both had their moments.
Neil Magny uses tactics and cardio to outlast Geoff Neal
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Between rounds, Neal’s corner asked their charge not to instigate clinches as he did in the first. He followed their guidance, but Magny offered a high output attack with his striking in the second. Which seemed to make “Handz of Steel” hesitant as he tried to find the right range to get after his taller and longer opponent. Magny’s strategy worked as “The Haitian Sensation” had a very productive round that left Neal looking out of rhythm and frustrated at times.
Two minutes into the third and Magny had thrown 102 more total strikes than his opponent. The constant punches and kicks from range kept Neal off balance. And when Neal pushed to land strikes, the 33-year-old locked him in a clinch against the cage. Brilliant tactics put the ninth-ranked fighter in the lead throughout the round and kept the tenth-ranked Neal out of any effective rhythm.
Magny eventually got the nod from the judges and bounced back impressively from his January loss to Michael Chiesa. The Elevation Fight Team fighter moves to 18-7 in the UFC. For Neal, he now has the first losing streak of his career after winning seven straight.
