What’s next for Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal after UFC Vegas 17?

In the main event of UFC Vegas 17, Stephen Thompson took on rising contender Geoff Neal.

Thompson was looking to cement his case as a top-five welterweight while Neal was set for the biggest fight of his career. Ultimately, it was “Wonderboy” who won every single round to get a clear-cut decision and prove to everyone he is still a contender at 170lbs.

Now, following the event, here is what I think should be next for Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal after UFC Vegas 17.

Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson’s last two opponents weren’t even ranked in the top-10 and he told BJPENN.com he felt the UFC wanted him to be a gatekeeper. However, for the second straight fight, he dominated the fight and won a clear-cut decision.

Following the win, Thompson called for a rematch with Jorge Masvidal, however, that doesn’t seem likely to happen. “Gamebred” is likely to fight Colby Covington and the rest of the top-five of the division is booked with Usman-Burns and Edwards-Chimaev. A possible option could be a trilogy with Tyron Woodley who is ranked one spot below him, however, a matchup against Neil Magny makes a ton of sense.

Magny is ranked ninth in the division and coming off a win over Robbie Lawler. He also holds the second-most wins at welterweight and deserves a big step-up in competition. If Thompson wins that, the rest of the top-five would likely have fought so he could get a top-five guy. For Magny, this would be a shot at proving he is a legit title contender.

Geoff Neal

Geoff Neal had a tough 2020. The Fortis MMA product had a severe health scare and then in his only fight, his head coach couldn’t corner him due to COVID-19. During the fight, Neal also couldn’t see for the majority of the scrap but still had moments.

Following his first loss inside the Octagon, Neal will have to take a step back in competition and a perfect opponent is Vicente Luque. The Brazilian lost to Thompson last year in his step-up in competition. Both also hold wins over Bella Muhammad, Mike Perry, and Niko Price. The winner would likely get another top-eight guy while the loser would have to fight an unranked guy to prove they are a top-15 welterweight.

Who do you think should be next for Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal after UFC Vegas 17?