Geoff Neal got back in to the win column last time out after a touch of a dry spell. Two years without a win got washed away when he picked up a injury TKO over Rafael dos Anjos. That earned him a fight with Carlos Prates at UFC 314, which fell apart when Neal withdrew. Luckily, it was rebooked for this stacked UFC 319 main card.
Prates entered the fight on the flip side of Neal. He saw his 11-fight win streak vanish at the hands of Ian Machado Garry last fight and looked to start a new one on Saturday.
The first round saw Neal come out with some solid leg kicks early. He was looking fast and confident as things got started. As he chased Prates around, the Brazilian began to find a home for some of his strikes. He ripped to the body and followed up with a knee to the same locale. The aggression of Neal didn’t wane, but the effectiveness saw a drop off. With 30 seconds left, Neal would look to take things to the mat, but instead ate a 1-2 combination for his trouble. Then at the horn, Prates threw a spinning back elbow and it melts Neal. Jason Herzog calls a stop to it immediately.
Official Result: Carlos Prates def. Geoff Neal via KO (Spinning Back Elbow) – Round 1 (4:59)
