MMA Preview – Geoff Neal vs Ian Machado Garry at UFC 298

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GEOFF NEAL VS IAN MACHADO GARRY FACTS

When is UFC 298? Sunday 18th February, 2024 - 01:00 (UK)

Where is UFC 298? Honda Center, Anaheim, California (US)

Where can I get tickets for UFC 298? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 298

What channel is UFC 298 on? TNT Sports 2

Where can I stream UFC 298? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+

For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!

GEOFF NEAL VS IAN MACHADO GARRY LOWDOWN

Geoff Neal (15-5) is delighted that this has been rescheduled. He has been too inactive only fighting twice since 2021. Back then, he earnt a split decision over Santiago Ponzinibbio after losing a unanimous decision to Neil Magny. He then took on Vicente Luque (2022) and put on his best performance to date. He knocked out the durable striker earning a ‘Performance of the Night’ in the process. He returned last year back in March but ran into Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 285 who wrapped up a rear-naked choke in the third round.

Ian Garry (13-0) finally returns to let his fighting do the talking. After this bout originally fell through, he was paired with Luque, but got pneumonia the week of the fight. Thankfully, this has been rebooked and Garry gets the chance to extend his unblemished record on this stacked UFC 298 card. He is coming off a vintage knockout over Daniel Rodriguez (2023) and a dominant performance over Neil Magny (2023) at UFC 292 although he will have been disappointed not to be able to finish the veteran.

GEOFF NEAL VS IAN MACHADO GARRY PREDICTION

This is a mouth-watering match-up with extra beef to wet our appetite. This will be a striking battle of utter class.

Garry is better from range utilizing his movement and speed. He has superb leg kicks and follows up with his hands whereas Neal is more compact and orthodox. He is a southpaw which will leave his lead leg open for kicks, but he has devastating power and will be corked to counter with his monster left hand.

It is hard to see many people getting the better of Neal if he performs like he did against Luque. Garry has shown holes in his defence, but his head movement continues to improve and if he performs like he did against Magny, he can cripple the right leg to disable the power.

We expect Garry’s speed and accuracy to make the difference over three rounds, but it is surprising to see him as such a big favourite. You cannot count Neal out in a striking battle, and we can see him testing that chin.

Prediction: Garry via Decision

Value bet: Neal via KO/TKO