Geoff Neal vs. Neil Magny Nearly Finalized for UFC on ESPN 24

A showdown between welterweight contenders Geoff Neal and Neil Magny has been targeted for UFC on ESPN 24.

UFC broadcast partner ESPN was first to report that the bout has nearly been finalized. UFC on ESPN 24 takes place on May 8 and is headlined by a bantamweight clash pitting Cory Sandhagen against T.J. Dillashaw. A location for the card has not been confirmed.

Neal and Magny were initially scheduled to clash on Aug. 29 at UFC Fight Night 175 but Neal was forced to withdraw due to health reasons.

After beginning his promotional tenure with five consecutive triumphs, Neal hit a speed bump in the UFC Fight Night 183 headliner, where he lost a five-round verdict to former 170-pound title challenger Stephen Thompson on Dec. 19. The Contender Series alum finished four of his first five UFC opponents, only needing to go the distance in victory against Belal Muhammad.

Magny last appeared at UFC on ESPN 20, where he had a three-bout winning streak snapped in a five-round decision loss against Michael Chiesa. Prior to that, “The Haitian Sensation” had bested Jingliang Li, Anthony Rocco Martin and Robbie Lawler in succession. The long-tenured UFC veteran is 17-7 over the course of his Octagon career.