Neil Magny and Geoff Neal have a new date for their dance as they will now square off on May 8.
Originally reported by MMA Junkie on Wednesday, the bout between Neil Magny and Geoff Neal that was originally slated for last August will now take place on May 8. This fight card will be headlined by T.J. Dillashaw’s return from a two-year USADA suspension against Cory Sandhagen.
Neil Magny will be looking to bring more blessings to his second quarter of 2021 than he was able to experience to begin the year. Magny came up short in his ESPN main event bout against Michael Chiesa back in January and has expressed his desire to stay active as usual. He will have that opportunity here against a recovered and rejuvenated Geoff Neal.
Ranked two spots behind Neil Magny at #11, Geoff Neal will have the chance to re-enter the top 10 of the welterweight division following his loss to Stephen Thompson last December. This bout will be Neal’s first contest of the year and his first fight since suffering what he described as a near-death experience that pulled him from the August fight against Magny. Magny would go on to turn in an impressive performance in a win over Robbie Lawler instead, but now he and Neal will finally fill in a conclusion for this unfinished chapter of their careers.
Of note, Khamzat Chimaev was banking on fighting Neil Magny in July, so this fight booking greatly lowers the prospect of Borz getting his wish. Chimaev could potentially push his return date back and fight the winner of this fight, but knowing him, he’ll just fight whomever the UFC puts in front of him as soon as he is ready to compete again.
With the addition of this renewed welterweight encounter, the updated lineup for the May 8 Fight Night card is as follows:
T.J. Dillashaw vs. Cory Sandhagen
Neil Magny vs. Geoff Neal
Donald Cerrone vs. Diego Sanchez
Amanda Ribas vs. Angela Hill
Philipe Lins vs. Ben Rothwell
Maurice Greene vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
Ryan Benoit vs. Zarrukh Adashev
Damir Hadzovic vs. Nikolas Motta
Christian Aguilera vs. Carlston Harris
Francisco Figueredo vs. Jimmy Flick
Roxanne Modafferi vs. Taila Santos
Tafon Nchukwi vs. Jun Yong Park
Who do you think wins the battle of the “Neels” on May 8? Neil Magny or Geoff Neal?
