Following DWI arrest, Geoff Neal is ready to move forward with Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 269

Following DWI arrest, Geoff Neal is ready to face Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 269.

Despite his Thanksgiving day arrest for a DWI and unlawfully carrying a gun, Geoff Neal will face off against Santiago Ponzinibbio in a welterweight contest on the main card of UFC 269. The bout is likely to provide fireworks, but the news of the arrest has certainly clouded the contest.

Much like his lawyer, Neal downplayed the severity of the situation at his UFC 269 media day interview, particularly the unlawful carrying of a firearm.

“The weapon is legal, it’s licensed in my name,” said Neal. “They made it look like I had a MAC-10 in my lap, driving around drunk… It’s not as serious as they’ve made it out to be.”

When asked if the arrest had added any further strain on his fight week, Neal was quick to shut the idea down.

“Not really,” said Neal. “I’m the dumb*** who did that so I just got to deal with it.”

Geoff Neal views fighting at UFC 269 as a chance to get back on track

Beyond the incident, Neal looks to get back into the win column following back-to-back losses after winning his first five fights in the UFC. When asked if the fight was a “must-win,” he expressed his confidence but acknowledged the importance of the fight.

“I feel like it’s an ‘I will win’ type moment,” said the UFC welterweight, “I’m going to win this fight, it’s a must-win… I’m living in the moment, I just got to get the job done.”

Following back-to-back fights in the UFC APEX, Neal will once again fight in front of a stadium of fans. He was not shy when discussing his disdain for the Apex, suggesting that it could have contributed to his losses.

“Fighting in the Apex is boring as ****,” said Neal. “I get to fight in T-Mobile this time…I’m looking forward to getting there and walking through the arena [with the] fans yelling and screaming. I want that, I live for that.”

Many have pinned Neal and Ponzinhibbio’s bout as being a contender for Fight of the Night. Neal looks at the fight in a similar fashion.

“I see it as a potential fight of the night or a potential performance of the night,” said Neal. “I hope it’s not a war, but he’s a tough dude, it might be a war.”

UFC 269 takes place on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who is on-site, for all your news and highlights.