UFC 245: Geoff Neal knocks out Mike Perry in 90 seconds to send statement
- ‘Hands of Steel’ lives up to nickname as he gives Perry first TKO/KO loss, reeling off his seventh straight win
- Neal says ‘I feel like I’m close’ to title shot but ‘I need two or three more fights’
Geoff Neal truly lived up to his “Hands of Steel” moniker with a 90-second knockout of Mike Perry at UFC 245, which will have sent shock waves through the welterweight division.
The referee stepped in at 1:30 of the first round at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Perry slumped against the side of the cage as Neal rained down blows.
Neal (13-2) had set up the finish with a devastating head kick that staggered Perry (13-6), hitting him flush on the chin with his shin.
Another high kick kept the pressure up, the Neal intelligently swarmed “Platinum”, handing him the first KO/TKO loss of his career.
“His right hand is always low when he loads up, so I knew if would be there when I threw the kick,” Neal told Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview in the Octagon.
“That was my plan, I wanted to get the finish. I got the job done.”
That made it seven straight wins for Neal, who has finished all five of his UFC fights. “This guy could be a future champion,” Rogan had said on commentary,
“I need at least two or three more fights before I can put myself up there and be ready for the belt. I feel like I’m close.”
