Geoff Neal Admits Corner Pep Talk Helped Motivate Him Ahead of Third Round at UFC 269

Geoff Neal needed a little extra motivation heading into the third round of a closely-contested welterweight clash with Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 269.

Enter Fortis MMA head coach Sayif Saud, who delivered a fiery pep talk that propelled Neal into his best round of that fight. “Handz of Steel” outlanded his opponent 46 to 39 in significant strikes over a definitive final stanza, helping seal a split-decision triumph.

“It jarred me a lot. He was being truthful,” Neal said of the corner talk during a post-fight interview. “I needed that round. Just in case a judge wanted to pull split-decision bulls—t, I had to take that round.”

And what exactly was the game plan heading into Round 3?

“Just go forward and punch him in the face,” Neal said. “I wasn’t punching him in the face enough in the first two rounds, so I just had to punch him more in the third round.”

It turns out Neal’s intuition was correct. When the final verdict was announced, the Texan emerged with a narrow split-decision victory. Without that final push, the outcome might have been different.

“I thought I had done enough. I was kind of confused on the split decision,” Neal said. “I thought I won three rounds, maybe the first round could have swung either way. Maybe that takedown might have had (an impact), but it was insignificant — I got right up. I felt like I won all three rounds.”

Forward pressure helped Neal turn the tide in a competitive bout. When the Fortis MMA product allowed Ponzinibbio to dictate the terms of engagement, the American Top Team-trained Argentinian chipped away with leg kicks and one-two combinations. When Neal pushed the pace, that offense wasn’t as available for Ponzinibbio.

“Whenever I felt like he was getting an advantage kicking my leg, I just stepped forward, got closer and made him back up a little bit,” Neal said. “It was when I was waiting in front of him or backing up he was kicking my leg. So I just had to put the pressure back on him so he could stop.”

The victory was essential for Neal, who entered UFC 269 on a two-bout skid after winning his first five outings within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

“It means a lot, but it means nothing at the same time because I’m still not where I want to be,” Neal said. “Yeah, I won, but I need like five more before I get the belt, so let’s get to it.”

Neal already has a date and venue in mind for his next Octagon appearance.

“Honestly I want to get on that Houston card (UFC 271) in February,” he said. “I don’t know about an opponent yet, but if there’s somebody willing and down, I’m down for it too. Let’s go.”