With eleven stoppages in fifteen victories, Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal lives up to his nickname.
The Texas-born fighter has left a trail of destruction in the UFC and despite his recent losses, he is still one of the most feared welterweight fighters.
The heavy-hitting 33 year-old has nine KO/TKO victories, six of which were in the first round, as well as two submission wins.
Whilst not a particularly aggressive fighter, Neal possesses a striking speed that allows him to catch out his opponents.
Despite the terrifying power behind his fists, Neal is a patient fighter who waits for his opponent to make a mistake before he delivers his hammer-fist like punches.
He also has a sneaky high kick that has caught opponents unaware, as evidenced from some of his knockouts.
5. Vs. Brian Camozzi – UFC Fight Night 126 (Feb. 18, 2018)
After earning a UFC contract following his success in the Dana White Contender Series, Neal made his debut at UFC Fight Night 126 in his hometown of Austin, Texas.
Following back-to-back victories, Neal showcased his abilities with a clinical first-round stoppage of Brian Camozzi.
The home favourite started the fight by charging at Camozzi with a big combination. Camozzi played defence and tied Neal up to slow his offence, but almost immediately they were back in the middle throwing bombs.
Neal found a home for most of his, including a big left hand behind Camozzi’s right ear a couple of minutes in.
Midway through the first, Neal pushed Camozzi to the cage and worked for a choke. Although he was cut badly above his right-eye from one of the earlier exchanges, Neal bullied Camozzi to one knee.
Then he sank in a rear-naked choke with Camozzi’s right side pressed up against the fence. With the bulldog-style choke applied tightly on, Camozzi was forced to tap.
4. Vs. Mike Perry – UFC 245 (Dec. 14, 2019)
In a battle between two seasoned strikers, Neal proved his quality with a stunning first-round knockout of Mike Perry.
Looking for his seventh consecutive victory, Neal came into this fight knowing his opponent was tough and durable. However, the power difference was apparent as the Fortis-MMA product made quick work of Perry with a vicious TKO/KO victory after just ninety seconds.
Just one minute into the fight, Neal connected with a massive left head kick that staggered Perry, hitting him flush on the chin with his shin.
Seeing the opening for a swift finish, Neal continued to pile on the pressure before eventually finishing “Platinum” with a powerful barrage of strikes.
Becoming the first fighter to finish the always-tough Perry with strikes sent shock waves throughout the welterweight division, and proved why Geoff Neal is considered one of the heaviest hitters at 170 pounds.
3. Vs. Niko Price – UFC 240 (July. 27, 2019)
A thrilling matchup between two exciting competitors, this bout proved to be one of the highlights of UFC 240.
Ahead of the fight, many expected an even contest between two extremely skilled warriors.
Price is the epitome of an aggressive fighter and is also someone who is more than willing to stand in the pocket and take a lot of shots just to return one.
On the other hand, Neal is an excellent striker with good footwork, high output and frightening striking speed.
Ahead of this fight, the two fighters had gone the distance just four times in their combined twenty-nine bouts and nobody expected a different outcome this time.
There was no “feeling out” period in this welterweight contest with Neal and Price immediately coming at each other from the opening bell.
Both fighters had their moments in a frantic opening round which went back and forth. Neal looked to land with heavy hands whilst Price opted to use kicks to set up his combos.
The momentum in the first round shifted drastically, however, with an accidental double knockdown. As Neal attempted to throw a right and Price a left, the two fighters clashed heads which left Neal on his back.
Price quickly jumped on top looking for the finish, but Neal was able to survive the onslaught and by the end of the round, appeared to be in the better position after scoring a big takedown.
In between rounds, Neal’s corner pleaded with him to avoid a slugfest, but the Texas-native announced his intentions with a wicked barrage of punches and the two fighters began exchanging shots in the middle of the octagon.
Neal cracked Price with a stiff left before a huge flurry saw both fighters’ chip away at each other with punches.
The intense scramble eventually led to Price attempting an ill-fated guillotine, which Neal was able to escape and transition into top position.
From here, Neal rained down a succession of heavy shots that broke through Price’s guard and appeared to briefly put him out.
A second flurry put the tie to bed, and with Price’s arm limp meant the referee had no choice but to call off the fight.
2. Vs. Vicente Luque – UFC Vegas 59 (Aug. 6, 2022)
In what was his highest-profile fight at the time, Neal delivered the performance of his career to hand Vicente “Silent Assassin” Luque his first ever knockout loss.
Neal looked fantastic from the opening bell with crisp striking and he battered the Brazilian over three rounds with his speed and power.
Luque had fought several wars but the insanely durable fighter was outclassed by Neal before being brutally knocked out in the third.
A very rough first round saw Luque dropped once and hurt a number of times.
At 3:18, a lovely one-two combination from Neal had Luque wobbling, struggling to stay on his feet, and by 1:45 Luque’s face was battered and bloodied.
Neal repeatedly picked his shots and busted open the Brazilian’s nose with his quick combinations.
With roughly a minute left on the clock, Neal scored a big knockdown, but Luque showed his endurance to hold out for the rest of the round.
Luque appeared to regain his composure in the second round, looking more confident in his movement and striking.
The second round saw the two fighters go toe-to-toe and, after a brief moment on the canvas, both men pressed forward and landed good shots in the most competitive frame of the bout.
However, the third round saw Neal take control once again as he pressed forwards and backed Luque up against the fence.
He continued the pressure and, after staggering the flailing Luque with a multi-strike combination highlighted by a series of vicious uppercuts, he landed one final shot that face planted Luque and handed Neal a “Performance of the Night” victory.
The vicious combination at the end was devastating and demonstrated the raw power and speed of Neal’s hands.
It was a merciless stoppage that probably knocked a couple years off Luque’s career. It also meant that Neal is the only fighter to deliver stoppage via punches defeats to Vincente Luque and Mike Perry, two fighters who are typically known for their durability. They don’t call him “Handz of Steel” for nothing.
1. Vs. Frank Camacho – UFC 228 (Sep. 8, 2018)
Taking top spot on this list is Geoff Neal’s brutal head kick knockout of Frank Camacho at UFC 228.
Competing in the second fight on the preliminary card portion of the event, Neal had everyone out of their seats with a brutal head kick that connected perfectly to Camacho’s chin on the right side.
There was no debate at that point – Camacho was out-cold before he even hit the canvas. Neal once again showed his incredible speed and skill in this one-sided beatdown.
Both fighters were patient at the start of the first round, but Neal got things underway by lacing out lightning-quick strikes that found their mark.
Neal’s quickness shone throughout the first as his left hand often sneaked past Camacho’s guard.
By the end of this first, Camacho’s eye was showing signs of wear but, credit to the fighter, he soldiered on to the second round.
Neal patiently opened the second as Camacho repeatedly tried to take the fight to the floor. Neal shrugged off the attempt and blasted away with punches that quickly bloodied Camacho again.
A flying knee landed cleanly for Neal but his opponent persistently stepped forward and advanced.
As Camacho dug in and started wildly swinging for a knockout, Neal retreated to the centre and when Camacho followed, he was met with a massive head kick that folded him and had him unconscious before he even hit the mat.
It was so brutal that Camacho literally folded in half and kneed himself in the face as he went limp.
A truly devastating knockout and one that will feature in UFC highlight reels for many years to come. Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal proved he also had a leg of steel with this finish.
Regarded as one of the heaviest hitters on the UFC roster, he is the welterweight equivalent of Francis Ngannou.
Neal is magnificent in the way he balances his destructive power with patience and composure. He is aware of his knockout power but never compromises his fight plan by desperately swinging.
Instead, he invites his opponent to make the fatal error of leaving themselves open for just a split second before swiftly unleashing his deadly left hand.
