It wasn’t the nasty grudge match with a massive knockout finish some fight fans may have been expecting, but Ian Machado Garry won his fight over Geoff Neal with a display of technical striking.
The welterweight bout was part of the UFC 298 main card at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and saw Garry (14-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) defeat Neal (15-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27).
Garry took a measured, disciplined approach. Most of his success came from technical striking, as he circled away from Neal, who struggled to find his rhythm.
While Neal found isolated time pockets of success, and could’ve understandably won the fight 29-28, according to judge Derek Cleary, it wasn’t enough to get the majority on his side.
After the decision, Garry was booed – and he encouraged that booing, which resulted in even more boos. During his time on the microphone with Joe Rogan, Garry called out former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington.
“I want to retire you from the UFC, Colby,” Garry said.
"I want to retire you from the UFC, Colby Covington!"
🇮🇪 @IanGarryMMA has called his shot for a date vs. Chaos! #UFC298 pic.twitter.com/wfJolxGa10
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) February 18, 2024
The bout between Garry and Neal was initially scheduled for August, but fell through due to an injury to Neal. In the meantime, heat was lit under the matchup as Garry sported a t-shirt with Neal’s mug shot on it. Garry also posted a video of his reaction to Neal’s withdrawal that indicated he thought Neal was faking.
Despite the nasty build, both fighters remained largely respectful during fight week and high-fived numerous times in the bout. Afterward, Garry and Neal shook hands and embraced.
Garry maintains a perfect promotional and career record with what’s widely regarded as his biggest win to date. Other notable UFC wins to date include Neil Magny and Daniel Rodriguez.
A brash trash-talker who oozes confidence, Garry encountered a tremendous amount of negativity in response to his attitude, as well as rumors about his personal life and the use of his wife’s mother’s last name.
Neal falls into a two-fight skid and has now lost four of his most recent six bouts, though all of those defeats have come vs. ranked competition.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 298 results include:
- Ian Machado Garry def. Geoff Neal via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
- Merab Dvalishvili def. Henry Cejudo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Anthony Hernandez def. Roman Kopylov via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:23
- Amanda Lemos def. Mackenzie Dern via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Junior Tafa via TKO (leg kicks, punches) – Round 2, 1:14
- Rinya Nakamura def. Carlos Vera via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Zhang Mingyang def. Brendson Ribeiro via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:41
- Danny Barlow def. Josh Quinlan via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:18
- Oban Elliott def. Val Woodburn via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Miranda Maverick def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
