Geoff Neal

2023 - 3 - 5

Post cover — Image courtesy of "ClutchPoints"

UFC 285 Odds: Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov prediction, pick ... (ClutchPoints)

Undefeated Rakhmonov takes on Geoff Neal at UFC 285! Check out our UFC odds series for our Neal-Rakhmonov prediction and pick.

Neal will be more than willing to stand and bang with him, so look for Rakhmonov to be creative in keeping distance and using his kicks against Neal’s front leg. This fight will still be close, but the weight miss for Neal is worrisome when considering a possible injury he’s dealing with. Nevertheless, Neal will have a real advantage on the feet with his crisp striking and heavy hands. Neal will have a willing dance partner in the stand-up with Rakhmonov. Neal will be at his biggest disadvantage in the wrestling. If he chooses to stand in the pocket and bang with Neal, he might get hit with a few shots and possibly rocked. Many are speculating that Geoff Neal is coming in to this fight heavy as a strategic tactic to outweigh Rakhmonov in the grappling. After making a name for himself on DWCS, Neal went on to win his first five consecutive fights in the UFC by using his heavy hands. However, for a fighter in Neal that rarely misses weight, a miss like this could be indicative of a lingering injury or illness. Most notably, the lethal fighter from Kazakhstan has finished all 16 of his fights, half by knockout and half by submission with nine of those being in the first round. Neal came in heavy by five pounds and will forfeit 30% of his purse. The tension of the UFC 285 Main Card will be as high as ever when we take a look at this upcoming bout between ranked fighters in the Welterweight (170 lb) Division.

UFC 285 results: Shavkat Rakhmonov submits Geoff Neal with sick ... (MMAmania.com)

UFC 285 results: Full fight coverage of Welterweight pay-per-view (PPV) match tonight (Sat., March 4, 2023) between Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov from ...

Neal was trapped, and he was forced to submit. Just over a minute into the round, Rakhmonov managed to close distance into the clinch, but Neal defended the trip. Knees and elbows scored by the bunches for “Nomad,” but Neal showed off incredible toughness to endure the punishment. Rakhmonov really committed to a single leg takedown, but Neal managed to keep his balance. Consecutive high kicks scored for Rakhmonov to start the third, but Neal fired right back. In the end, though, he did ultimately serve as a stepping stone, as Rakhmonov landed dozens of power punches en route to a late slick submission finish.

UFC 285 results: Shavkat Rakhmonov strangles Geoff Neal standing ... (MMA Junkie)

An all-out slugfest between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Geoff Neal at UFC 285 ended with a submission.

Jessica Penne via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 2:14](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/%E2%80%9Chttps://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/ufc-285-video-tabatha-ricci-taps-jessica-penne-start-baby-shark-era%E2%80%9D) [Farid Basharat def. Julian Marquez via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:12](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/%E2%80%9Chttps://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/ufc-285-video-marc-andre-barriault-vs-julian-marquez-tko%E2%80%9D) [Ian Garry def. Song Kenan via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:22](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/%E2%80%9Chttps://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/ufc-285-ian-garry-tko-win-conor-mcgregor-celebration%E2%80%9D) [Cameron Saaiman def. Esteban Ribovics via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/%E2%80%9Chttps://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-285-jon-jones-ciryl-gane-heavyweight-title-shevchenko-grasso-play-by-play-live-results%E2%80%9D) Derek Brunson via TKO (corner stoppage) – Round 2, 4:59](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/%E2%80%9Chttps://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/ufc-285-results-derek-brunson-vs-dricus-du-plessis-towel-throw-ko%E2%80%9D) [Amanda Ribas def. Da’Mon Blackshear via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/%E2%80%9Chttps://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-285-jon-jones-ciryl-gane-heavyweight-title-shevchenko-grasso-play-by-play-live-results%E2%80%9D) [Loik Radzhabov def. Trevin Jones via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/%E2%80%9Chttps://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/ufc-285-results-cody-garbrandt-practices-patience-in-unanimous-decision-win-over-trevin-jones%E2%80%9D) [Dricus Du Plessis def. Mana Martinez via majority decision (29-26, 29-27, 28-28)](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/%E2%80%9Chttps://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-285-jon-jones-ciryl-gane-heavyweight-title-shevchenko-grasso-play-by-play-live-results%E2%80%9D) [Tabatha Ricci def. Viviane Araujo via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 30-27)](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/%E2%80%9Chttps://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-285-jon-jones-ciryl-gane-heavyweight-title-shevchenko-grasso-play-by-play-live-results%E2%80%9D) [Marc-Andre Barriault def. Jamie Pickett via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 2:54](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/03/ufc-285-results-bo-nickal-vs-jamie-pickett-debut-ncaa-wrestling) [Cody Garbrandt def. The catchweight bout (Neal missed the welterweight limit) was part of the main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Despite Neal’s miss on the scales, Rakhmonov appeared to be the visibly bigger fighter.

UFC 285 results, highlights: Shavkat Rakhmonov scores late ... (CBSSports.com)

Despite the weight cutting issues and the dominant fighter in front of him, Neal put up a tremendous fight, catching Rakhmonov with several clean punches and ...

While Neal was willing to exchange strikes with Rakhmonov, it was Rakhmonov who got the best of most of those trades. Rakhmonov bounced back from being stumbled in that final round to maul Neal along the cage. Rakhmonov justified the hype, battling through tough spots before scoring a third-round submission to run his perfect record to 17-0.

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal full fight video highlights (MMA Fighting)

UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane took place March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Welterweight contenders Shavkat Rakhmonov (17-0) and Geoff Neal (15-5) ...

Neal lands a left. Rakhmonov grabs a choke from the side!!!!! Like a standing bulldog choke and Rakhmonov gets the tap with short time!!!!!!! We restart and Rakhmonov lands a big knee! Neal lands a 2-3! And we’re back to a clinch, where Rakhmonov is kneeing the body. And corralling Neal to the fence. Back in space and Rakhmonov lands a nice right hand over the guard. Head kick from Rakhmonov glances and Neal is hurt! Rakhmonov tries a trip but Neal defends. Neal lands a left hand. Rakhmonov lands a kick.

Geoff Neal misses weight at UFC 285: What are the consequences ... (Sportskeeda)

No. 7 ranked UFC welterweight Geoff Neal missed weight ahead of his highly anticipated bout against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 285.

However, it was Shavkat Rakhmonov who eventually came out on top after securing a submission victory late in the third and final round. However, if their opponent agrees, the fighter who misses weight will be fined around 20-30% of their fight purse, with the fined amount being awarded to their opponent and the fighter will be deprived of the post-fight bonuses if any. Going into the fight, Shavkat Rakhmonov emerged as a massive favorite to get the job done.

UFC 285 Bonuses: Geoff Neal snags a bonus after missing weight (MMAWeekly)

Following Saturday's UFC 285 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White announced the recipients of the performance-based bonuses.

Nickal quickly pressured Jamie Pickett and was able to get his foe to the canvas. She applied the pressure and Shevchenko was forced to tap. [“Bones”](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/jon-jones) took Gane down after feeling the fight out for a bit on the feet, he worked his way into a mounted position and locked in a guillotine choke. He was patient and he waited until he found the right grip and position to really lock in the choke. Grasso took Shevchenko’s back in the final minute of the third round after Shevchenko threw a spinning kick. Just like that, the fighter that many believe is the ‘G.O.A.T.’ added another bullet to his resume which likely proves he’s just that. [Ciryl Gane](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/ciryl-gane) 124 seconds. He’s the first welterweight in UFC history to begin his career with five consecutive finishes. Big things are on the way from Rakhmonov – and For the first time since implementing the bonus system, a fighter was awarded a bonus after missing weight. Prior to that jaw dropping moment, both men had big moments on the feet, but it was mainly Rakhmonov deploying a wide variety of strikes leading the dance. [welterweight](https://www.ufc.com/welterweight) contenders did not disappoint.

UFC 285: Shavkat Rakhmonov Batters, Chokes Out Game Geoff ... (Cageside Press)

Welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov proved to have a chin, heart, and plenty of skill in a wildly entertaining catchweight fight at UFC 285.

The two welterweights went back-and-forth early on, engaging in an absolute slugfest, testing one another’s chin with each crippling blow. After a series of heavy exchanges, Shavkat Rakhmonov pulled off a standing rear-naked choke in the waning minutes of the fight, emerging victorious and remaining undefeated, his record improving to 17-0. In what had the potential to be crowned “Fight of the Night”, Shavkat Rakhmonov reminded fight fans around the world that his hype train is still chugging along in 2023.

Geoff Neal

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