Draft:Grant Neal
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Grant Neal is an American mixed martial arts fighter. He currently fights as a light heavyweight in Bellator MMA.[1]
| Grant Neal | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 5th 1995 |
| Nickname | "The Truth" |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) |
| Reach | 72 in (183 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Colorado |
| Team | Genesis Training Academy |
| Rank | 4 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 11 |
| Wins | 9 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Other information | |
| University | Colorado State University-Pueblo (formerly) |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Background
[edit]Neal was a wrestler and football player for Regis Jesuit High School. In 2013, he joined Colorado State University-Pueblo on an athletic scholarship as a biology student aiming to become an orthopedic surgeon and as a player for the university's football team: the ThunderWolves.[2][3] Neal played in all 15 games of the 2014 season that allowed the team to capture a Division II national championship.[3] During his time at the university, Neal met a female student in the athletic trainer squad, with whom he would have sexual relations in the fall of his sophomore year (October 25, 2015).[3][4][5] On the incident, Neil stated that she was "adamant" on having intercourse with him and that he only temporarily paused the encounter to put on a condom, also declaring that the student never said "no" or asked him to stop.[5] The following day, said student contacted him to inform him that another student had seen hickeys on her neck and reported Neal's encounter with her as a sexual assault. She would aso text him to inform him that she had been talking to many people to inform them that the actions reported weren't true, instead being the result of another student on the athletic team trying to "screw her over".[3][5] On a phone call made later the same day and recorded by Neal, the woman can be heard deying any possible rape accusation.[5] On October 27, a Title IX investigation began at CSU-Pueblo. The woman declared the encounter had been consensual and she had only stopped it at one point because she did not want to have sex unprotected, as she was not on birth control. She stated that, once Neal put on a condom, she was okay with the encounter.[5] On the same day the investigation began, the woman returned with Neal back to his house and engaged in intercourse with him again. Said encounter was briefly witnessed by one of Neal's roommates, Quinn Vandekoppel, when he returned home.[5] CSU-Pueblo concluded that Neil was still at fault for the brief seconds in which intercourse without a condom took place and it was determined Neil would be suspended until the woman graduated.[5] In response to this sanction, Neil filed a lawsuit against the university and the U.S. Department of Education. [6]The case was settled in jury 2017, with neither party admitting to any wrongdoing.[4]
Mixed martial arts career
[edit]While Neil's lawsuit against CSU-Pueblo and the U.S. Department of Education was ongoing, he was put in contact with strenght and conditioning coach Loren Landow. At the time, Landow was training several MMA fighters, among them Nate Marquardt, whom he introduced to Neil. Neil would eventually begin training under Marquardt, seeing MMA as a new opportunity that was aided by his previous wrestling experience.[3] Neil would have his first amateur fight in Boulder, Colorado, finishing it with punches only 26 seconds into the bout.[3] Neil would go on to have five more amateur fights, in which he would earn titles in the Sparta Combat League and Tuff-N-Uff promotions[7] before making his professional debut on February 23, 2019.
For his professional debut, Neil would fight on Sparta Sports and Entertainment´s SCL 72. There, he would submit Juan Molina 46 seconds into the first round via rear naked choke.[8] A few months after, Neal would be signed by Bellator MMA[7], making his debut on the promotion in Bellator 233, on November 8, 2019, and winning via unanimous decision against Jimmy Lugo.[9] Neil would go on to win his next four fights (two via unanimous decision, one via submission and one via TKO) before losing to Alex Polizzi via split decision in Bellator 300. After suffering his first loss, Neil went on a three fight win streak (two wins via unanimous decision and one win via split decision) that would end with a unanimous decision loss to Luke Trainer.[9] Neil is currently the 4th ranked light heavyweight in Bellator MMA.[10]
Personal life
[edit]In 2018, Neal launched a Kickstarter campaign to create a documentary about his life titled "A Violent Dance: The True Story of Grant Neal".[7] On June 22, 2023, Neal married Hannah Neal, the couple announced the occasion through social media.[11]The couple has also announced they are expecting a child in September 2024. [12]
Mixed martial arts record
[edit]| 11 matches | 9 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| By submission | 3 | 0 |
| By decision | 5 | 2 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 9-2 | Luke Trainer | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator Champions Series 1: Anderson vs. Moore | 22 March 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ireland | |
| Win | 9-1 | Romero Cotton | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 300 - Nurmagomedov vs. Primus | 7 October 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | San Diego, California, United States | |
| Win | 8-1 | Karl Albrektsson | Decision (split) | Bellator 290 - Bader vs. Fedor 2 | 4 February 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Inglewood, California, United States | |
| Win | 7-1 | Christian Edwards | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 278 - Velasquez vs. Carmouche | 22 April 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Loss | 6-1 | Alex Polizzi | Decision (split) | Bellator 266 - Romero vs. Davis | 18 September 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 6-0 | Tyree Fortune | Submission (rear naked choke) | Bellator 259 - Cyborg vs. Smith 2 | 21 May 2021 | 1 | 4:20 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 5-0 | Maurice Jackson | Submission (rear naked choke) | Bellator 254 - Macfarlane vs. Velasquez | 10 December 2020 | 2 | 3:59 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 4-0 | Hamza Salim | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 243 - Chandler vs. Henderson 2 | 7 August 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 3-0 | Claude Wilcox | TKO (punches) | Bellator 239 - Ruth vs. Amosov | 21 February 2020 | 3 | 3:37 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 2-0 | Jimmy Lugo | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 233 - Salter vs. van Steenis | 8 November 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 1-0 | Juan Molina | Submission (rear naked Choke) | SCL 72 - Cotton vs. Chavez | 23 February 2019 | 1 | 0:46 | Denver, Colorado, United States |
References
[edit]- ^ "Grant Neal | Light Heavyweight | Bellator MMA". Bellator MMA. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ Roberts, Michael. "Grant Neal Sues Over Suspension Re: Non-Consensual Sex Claim". Westword. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ a b c d e f Fowlkes, Ben. "A false sex-assault claim killed Grant Neal's football career, but MMA provided a new life". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ a b Shapiro, T. Rees (2021-10-27). "Football standout settles Title IX lawsuit with Colorado State University at Pueblo". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ a b c d e f g "CSU-Pueblo Student Sues After Suspension Over 'Consensual Sex' - CBS Colorado". www.cbsnews.com. 2016-04-19. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ Neal v. Colo. State Univ.-Pueblo, Civil Action No. 16-cv-873-RM-CBS (D. Colo. Feb. 16, 2017)
- ^ a b c "Bellator signs Tuff-N-Uff champion Grant Neal". MMA Junkie. 2019-06-06. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ^ "SCL 72 | MMA Event". Tapology. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ^ a b Sherdog.com. "Grant". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ^ "Bellator". bellator.com. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ^ "6.22.2023 Mr. & Mrs. Neal". Instagram. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "Overjoyed for what's to come Thank you Jesus for this treasured gift. Baby Neal coming September!!". Instagram. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.