Geoff Neal has withdrawn from UFC 292 due to undisclosed medical reasons and his opponent, Ian Machado Garry, has suggested fighting with Neil Magny as a replacement.
Geoff Neal has had to step down from UFC 292 due to unspecified health concerns. His representative confirmed the withdrawal following a video released by Ian Machado Garry, Neal’s supposed opponent, where Garry seemed to break the news. Garry expressed disappointment in Neal, even suggesting a match with Neil Magny, the fighter he had previously challenged after his last victory, as an alternate competitor for the August 19 pay-per-view event in Boston.
Garry didn’t shy away from expressing displeasure towards Neal in the video, which was uploaded on his Twitter account. “Geoff Neal is a b****,” he stated. Asking what kind of sign he was receiving, he wondered aloud, “Is this God giving me what I initially asked for?” Even though Magny seemed open to the idea after Garry’s challenge, Garry’s bout with Neal was by then confirmed. Garry continued making multiple jibes at Neal on the internet, even donning a t-shirt featuring Neal’s 2021 mugshot from a DWI and weapons charge, intentionally stirring up controversy.
The titillating feud was scheduled to feature in the pay-per-view portion of the August 19 card at TD Garden, with UFC 292 headlined by a bantamweight title competition between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley. However, with Neal’s exit, prospects seemed to open up for Garry’s desired opponent. Magny added fuel to the gossips when he posted a suggestive picture on Instagram showing him signing what looked like a contract. He captioned the image stating, “When an opportunity of a lifetime presents itself, one must act within the lifetime of that opportunity.” No official confirmation regarding the potential matchup has been made at this time.