Outside Source
After being
arrested for driving while intoxicated and carrying an
unlicensed weapon on Thanksgiving, it appeared that Geoff Neal
might have bigger concerns than his UFC
269 fight against Santiago
Ponzinibbio.
As it turns out, there is still much to be resolved regarding
Neal’s case, and the welterweight made it to UFC 269 media day to
address the situation. Shortly after news of his arrest broke, UFC
officials confirmed the bout against Ponzinibbio would move forward
as planned. For now, Neal is awaiting the results of his
post-arrest blood screening to contest his DWI.
“I haven’t been charged with any crime yet,” Neil told assembled
media (video via MMAjunkie.com).
“They had probable cause and instead of doing the breathalyzer, I
chose to do the blood [test]. I’m waiting on the results to get
back and we’ll go from there.”
Even if Neal beats the charges, the timing of the arrest — he was
out at 3:47 a.m. local time — is of concern for someone two weeks
away from looking to halt a two-bout losing streak against a fellow
welterweight contender. According to Neal, the whole incident was
overblown.
“It was just a one night thing. I decided to kick back and relax
with my girlfriend, had a few drinks,” Neal said. “And then there
was a situation that happened. Cops got involved. I did have my
weapon on me, my weapon is legal. It’s licensed in my name. They
made it look like I had a MAC-10 in my lap driving around drunk or
something.
“It’s not as serious as they make it out to be. It’s not like I was
drunk off my ass, hungover ..It was a onetime thing.”
The 31-year-old Neal began his promotional tenure with five
consecutive triumphs to establish himself as a person of interest
in the UFC at 170 pounds. The Fortis MMA product has hit a bumpy
stretch recently, falling to Stephen
Thompson and Neil Magny in
his last two Octagon appearances.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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