“Handz of Steel” was fighting a private war.
No. 12-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Geoff Neal returns to action next weekend (Sat., Feb. 21, 2026), putting his ranking on the line against fellow knockout artist Uros Medic at UFC Houston inside the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
On the surface, the last five years have simply looked inconsistent for Neal, who was once undefeated inside the Octagon and riding a five-fight winning streak —with notable wins over Niko Price, Belal Muhammad, and Mike Perry (watch highlights). However, he lost momentum in late 2020, and since then, he has gone 3-5, a puzzling slide for a fighter who once looked destined for a title run.
But the struggles went far beyond the cage.
In a recent interview with Home of Fight, Neal revealed he was privately battling drug addiction and alcoholism — a fight that began around the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, shortly after he suffered a life-threatening health crisis. Neal contracted an undisclosed infection that led to septic shock, a moment that changed everything.
“I had a real issue for five years around COVID, like right when I got sepsis — I fell into a hole,” Neal said. “This is the first time I’m even talking about it, but I had a problem with addiction — drugs and alcohol. It was rough. Five years of it, and within those five years, the longest I was sober was two weeks, and those two weeks were usually before a fight. I would only slow down before a fight, and I would come in underprepared and out of shape. It’s crazy that I stayed in the rankings the whole time.
“Five years of ups and downs… f—k.”
Neal never went to rehab. There wasn’t a single defining moment that forced change. Instead, it was the viral “75 Hard” challenge — a strict 75-day program that requires a disciplined diet, a gallon of water daily, no alcohol or drugs, reading 10 pages of nonfiction per day, and two workouts daily — that helped him reset. Neal completed everything except the reading portion.
“Thank God for my wife, who was with me through it all,” Neal said. “It was rough. The past five years, it didn’t feel like I was living. I was there, but I wasn’t present. But now, I’m here. People who have gone through addiction know. Now I’m experiencing life again for the first time, and I’m past it all — hopefully. It’s to the point where if I see liquor, I get sick to my stomach. I don’t think I’m ever going to drink again after 75 Hard, and it’s for the best.”
“I feel like I got a second chance and I don’t want to waste it,” he added. “I feel like I should have already been champion. I was riding a five-fight win streak after I beat Mike Perry, but then things just went downhill.”
Admitting addiction is never easy. For Neal, it meant confronting years of silence and struggle. Now, with clarity and renewed purpose, he begins what he hopes is a true comeback — starting with the dangerous Medic in Houston.
On a personal note, as someone who recently celebrated 14 years clean and sober, I commend Neal for speaking openly. Addiction is something millions battle quietly, and far too many lose. For a professional athlete to use his platform to share that truth carries real weight.
For the rest of the UFC Houston fight card and Paramount+ lineup click here.
