Geoff Neal vs. Ian Garry – Fight Preview & Analysis

UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 17, 2024, in Anaheim, California, USA. In this matchup on the fight card, Robert “Handz of Steel” Whittaker will take on Paulo “The Future” Costa in the Welterweight bout. You can view the complete UFC 298 card.

Whittaker brings a unique southpaw fighting stance with an 75″ reach. In contrast, Costa, an orthodox fighter, stands with a 74″ reach. These variations in their styles can have a significant impact inside the Octagon.

With a 50% striking accuracy, Whittaker has shown his precision in landing significant strikes, averaging around 5.22 per minute. On the other hand, Costa boasts a 56% striking accuracy, landing approximately 6.67 significant strikes per minute.

In this post, we will break down Geoff Neal vs. Ian Garry matchup. Let’s take a look at the fighter’s ages, their height, records, reach, fight stats, and more below ⤵

The 34-year-old, Geoff Neal is coming in with a 15-5-0 record. Whittaker will be fighting for the first time since a loss via submission against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane in March.

Costa, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision win against Geoff Neal on March 4, 2023, at UFC 292: Sterling vs. O’Malley and holds a 13-0-0 record.

Geoff Neal has a southpaw fighting stance with an 75″ reach. The 27-year-old Ian Garry is an orthodox fighter with a 74″ reach. An orthodox fighter stands with their left side forward and jabs with their left hand. The southpaw fighter is the opposite. Southpaw stands with their right side forward and jabs with their right hand. In most cases, orthodox fighters are right-handed; if you are left-handed, you fight southpaw.

Geoff Neal stats

→ Whittaker’s striking accuracy is 50%.
→ Whittaker lands 5.22 significant strikes per minute.
→ Whittaker’s takedown accuracy is 44%.
→ Whittaker’s takedown average is 0.51 per 15 minutes.
→ Whittaker’s takedown defense is 87%.

Whittaker comes in with 50% striking accuracy, typically landing about 5.22 significant strikes every minute. Conversely, Costa fires at 56% accuracy, landing about 6.67 significant strikes per minute. Geoff Neal also has a 44% takedown accuracy and, on average, gets around 0.51 takedowns every 15 minutes, compared to Costa’s 0.67 takedowns and 69% takedown accuracy.

Ian Garry stats

→ Costa’s striking accuracy is 56%.
→ Costa lands 6.67 significant strikes per minute.
→ Costa’s takedown accuracy is 75%.
→ Costa’s takedown average is 0.67 per 15 minutes.
→ Costa’s takedown defense is 69%.

Paulo spent, on average, 11:13 minutes in the Octagon, and Robert has an average fight time of 10:36 minutes.

Considering their records, fighting styles, and recent performances, this matchup looks to be an interesting clash of skills and strategies. Who will come out victorious, Robert or Paulo? Sound off in the comments.

You can view the scheduled UFC 298 fight card, upcoming UFC schedule 2023, and latest MMA news.