Geoff Neal Responds After UFC Says “Shavkat [Rakhmonov] Gave Us Shades of Jon Jones” at UFC 285

Welterweight star Geoff Neal had a disappointing outing at UFC 285. Despite putting up a strong fight, the 32-year-old lost to the formidable Shavkat Rakhmonov via a submission. Now, the 32-year-old is earning a comparison to combat sports icon Lyoto Machida, but for the wrong reasons.

Neal faced Rakhmonov on the main card of the UFC 285 PPV. The Fortis MMA affiliate came into the fight with a 14-4 record and a two-fight won streak. Neal was riding the momentum of being the first man to finish fellow welterweight Vicente Luque after he finished the Brazilian in his previous fight in August 2022.

However, Neal could not repeat the feat against Uzbekistan’s Shavkat Rakhmonov. Although ‘Handz of Steel’ found success against ‘Nomad’ on the feet, the 28-year-old returned fire with equal intensity. Ultimately, Rakhmonov was able to sink in a submission in the final round and get the win.

The way he lost that fight earned him a parallel with Lyoto Machida’s loss to Jon Jones. However, the 32-year-old was quick to dismiss the comparison.

Geoff Neal dismisses unfair Lyoto Machida comparison

The official UFC Instagram page shared a video juxtaposing Machida’s losing moments in the Jon Jones fight to that of Neal’s at UFC 285. In the caption, they claimed, “Shavkat gave us shades of Jon Jones on the night of his return!” The video compared their wins and both fighters walking away from their opponents who were slumped on the canvas.

Jones faced Machida in a title defense at UFC 140. ‘Bones’ choked out Machida in the second round to claim his victory. Jones dropping Machida’s limp body and walking away victoriously is still one of the coldest moments in his career.

However, Neal did not agree that he went out like Machida. He called the bluff on the UFC’s attempt to hype Rakhmonov by comparing the fight to that of Jones vs. Machida. In the comments, he wrote, “Nah fam. I didn’t go all flibity flop like that.”

While the UFC socials may have done him wrong, Neal got a huge favor from UFC president Dana White after his UFC 285 performance.

Dana White had a reward for Neal after UFC 285

Prior to the fight, Neal had missed the welterweight mark and was set to forego a percentage of his purse from the fight. However, after his performance, UFC President Dana White revealed that Neal would receive his full purse for that performance.

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During the post-fight press conference, White gave props to Neal for putting up a good fight against Rakhmonov. He explained that the fight was why he was making an exception for Neal and not penalizing him for the weight miss.

All things considered, Neal did not suffer many setbacks except for the loss at UFC 285. He earned his purse despite the weight miss and his performance received props from his boss.

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What are your thoughts on the comparison of Neal’s loss to Machida’s? Let us know in the comments below.