An absolute banger of a welterweight fight is the latest addition to UFC 245 as fan favorite Mike Perry takes on Geoff Neal in what is sure to be a war.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani confirmed the Perry vs. Neal booking for UFC 245, which takes place on December 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout has been rumored on social media in recent days, and now it’s nearly official. According to Helwani, verbal agreements are in place for the bout, and the UFC should make it official shortly.
Mike Perry vs. Geoff Neal is in the works for UFC 245 on Dec. 14, according to sources. Both sides have verbally agreed to the welterweight fight.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 31, 2019
Perry (13-5) is aways in exciting fights win, lose, or draw. The 28-year-old Florida native is just 6-5 overall in the UFC, but he’s been involved in a number of memorable fights that have turned him into a fan favorite. In his last outing at UFC Uruguay in August, Perry fought tooth-and-nail with Vicente Luque in what was one of the best fights of 2019. Perry lost a split decision and sustained a nasty broken nose in the fight, but he gained new fans for his toughness and also won $50,000 for “Fight of the Night.” All together Perry has won four bonuses, two for Fight of the Night and two for Performance of the Night.
Neal (12-2) is quietly surging up the welterweight rankings. The 29-year-old Texas native is riding a six-fight win streak overall including a perfect 4-0 mark in the UFC. He’s defeated Brian Camozzi, Frank Camacho, Belal Muhammed, and in his last fight, knocked out Niko Price at UFC 240 to win a Performance of the Night bonus.
Both Perry and Neal have been asking for top-15 opponents but will instead face off against each other, with the winner surely earning a fight against a ranked opponent in 2020. The addition of Perry vs. Neal to UFC 245 makes a deep card even deeper.
Who wins, Mike Perry or Geoff Neal?