Geoff Neal and Ian Machado Garry, who were supposed to meet last summer, will finally step into the Octagon at UFC 298. Fans clearly do not enjoy Ian Machado Garry’s presence but this will probably motivate him even more. Here is our Neal vs Garry prediction.
UFC 298 Prediction: Neal vs Garry Prediction
Geoff Neal and Ian Machado Harry, who were supposed to meet last summer, will finally step into the Octagon at UFC 298.
Neal, a top 15 finisher for the past few years, had one of the best fights of the year in 2023 against Shavkat Rakhmonov, but unfortunately, got caught in a rear-naked choke in the third round. Machado Garry has yet to prove himself, sporting a 13-0 record in his seventh UFC fight.
The first time they weren’t able to meet, there was a little tension between them, but this time it feels like there’s more at stake in the division, so expect a good fight in Anaheim.
Geoff Neal is currently ranked seventh in the official UFC rankings for the division. “Handz of Steel” won two of his last three fights, defeating Santiago Ponzinibbio (split decision) and Vicente Luque (knockout) from Brazil. However, he was unable to beat the young star Shavkat Rakhmonov in his last bout in March 2023.
The 33-year-old Dallas native has a record of 15 wins (nine by knockout) and five losses. The American has a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Neal not only lost to Rakhmonov but also did not make weight, for which he received a fine on his fee. In general, it feels like Neal’s best years are behind him even with the recent wins he got against solid opponents.
Ian Machado Garry Preview
Ian Machado Garry made his debut in the UFC a long time ago and has not yet lost a single fight. In the latter, The Future defeated Neil Magny (unanimous decision).
In total, the 26-year-old Irishman has 13 victories (seven by knockout) and no defeats at the professional level in MMA. Garry has a black belt in judo. Before moving to the UFC, he competed in Cage Warriors and became the Welterweight Champion.
Geoff Neal vs Ian Machado Garry: The Irishman Remains Undefeated
Let’s take a closer look at the fight statistics of the two fighters before we make our final Neal vs Garry prediction.
Neal is an active striker and lands an average of 5.22 significant strikes per minute. On the other end, Garry throws even more punches and lands an average of 6.67 significant strikes per minute. In terms of transfer attempts, Neal has landed 0.51 takedowns on average per 15 minutes while Garry has had 0.67 successful takedowns per 15 minutes.
"My hand will get raised. I'll stay undefeated. They can talk their s**t."@Bisping wants to know if @IanGarryMMA has any plans up his sleeve to try and win the fans over.
Defensively, Neal has stopped 88{7977e81067aa52767c5a045b6a52bbfc36ac9a3ee7fc87b6a1495c50622a5d53} of the takedown attempts against him while Garry has had more problems with his 69{7977e81067aa52767c5a045b6a52bbfc36ac9a3ee7fc87b6a1495c50622a5d53}. When it comes to their striking, Neal absorbs an average of 5.60 strikes per minute while Garry clearly has a better defense, absorbing 3.58 strikes per minute.
With all this said, we believe that the Irishman will remain undefeated. He is following the path of his idol Conor McGregor and while Neal is not the easiest opponent, Garry seems to be superior to him in most aspects of the fighting game.
Vlad is a former amateur MMA fighter. After a series of injuries, he found a different way to connect with the sport and its fanbase - through writing. He's been covering everything-UFC for over 5 years on various platforms and has been part of the team at NYFights since early 2022.
