According to UFC welterweight Geoff Neal, a recent health scare had him toeing the line between life and death.
Minutes before news surfaced that he was out of his Aug. 29 fight against Neil Magny, Neal (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) posted a message on social media with a recent picture of him in the intensive care unit.
Neal offered a frightening description of his situation and said he “almost died” from a compromising medical mishap that included sepsis and required being connected to a dialysis machine. Doctors have still not managed to specifically identify what brought on the issue.
These past few week have been crazy, and that’s putting it lightly. It’s really hard to try to find an eloquent way to say “I almost died.” So screw it.. I almost died…. This really put alot of things into perspective for me. Never did I ever think I would be hooked up to a dialysis machine before my 30s. Everything was going well for me. Was training everyday, making money at work, just signed a contract for a huge fight, then BOOM, life hit me with a check hook. I’m just glad to be home after having to spend 1 week in the ICU. Stay healthy out there y’all and listen to your body at all times.
Neal’s description of his experience was somewhat vague, and that was by no mistake. His manager Sayif Saud, who is also head coach at Fortis MMA in Dallas, told MMA Junkie that Neal’s experience began with some complaints of feeling sluggish followed by a blistering temperature. He visited multiple different hospitals in Texas before he was finally admitted to the ICU where he spent seven days.
Saud said doctors performed a litany of tests to determine how and why his immune system was so badly compromised. He tested negative for COVID-19 during his hospital stay, according to Saud, and medical professionals managed to get his condition under control despite the mysterious nature of how it came about.
Neal was released from the hospital about a week after arriving and is currently at home under orders to take antibiotics and get a lot of rest. That, of course, means his fighting career is pushed to the back burner.
After starching Mike Perry by TKO in just 90 seconds at UFC 245 in December, Neal spent much of 2020 campaigning for a big-name opponent at 170 pounds. He finally got one in Magny, but it did not materialize due to his health scare.
There’s no timeline for Neal’s return. Saud said the fighter’s focus is currently on recovery, and there’s a genuine sense of gratitude the situation didn’t claim Neal’s life.
UFC welterweight Geoff Neal says he 'almost died' from unforeseen health scare
