Overview
- Neal says his drug and alcohol addiction began around a 2020 sepsis episode and lasted about five years.
- He reports the longest he stayed sober during that span was roughly two weeks, typically just before fights, leaving him underprepared and out of shape.
- He says a version of the 75 Hard/75 Soft challenge marked his first day sober, and he has remained sober since starting it, without entering formal rehab.
- Neal describes lifestyle changes to support recovery, including leaving a bar-focused job for a family-oriented workplace and distancing from certain friends, while crediting his wife for support.
- He is booked to face Uros Medic at UFC Houston on Feb. 21 at Toyota Center; Medic is coming off consecutive first-round knockouts and has never gone to the scorecards.