Neal and Curtis Reportedly Booked for UFC Dallas in January

Geoff Neal and Chris Curtis are reportedly set to fight at UFC Dallas on Jan. 16. The report comes from Marcel Dorff, and it is not presented as official.

A card that opens the year

The event takes place at American Airlines Center. According to the report, it is the promotion's first show of 2027. That puts a welterweight bout on the card that opens the promotion's year.

Until the promotion announces it, the matchup is only a report. A booking this far out can still change.

Neal needs a win after a thin stretch

Neal is 34 and stands at 16-8. Only one of his last five appearances ended in a win. That win came in 2024, when he stopped Rafael dos Anjos in a fight that ended because of an injury.

He was also booked against Chidi Njokuani at UFC 330 in August. An injury, which he did not disclose, forced him out of that fight.

Curtis arrives on a 1-3 run

Curtis is 38. His record is 32-13 with one no contest, built across regional promotions and the UFC. He is on a 1-3 run, and his latest fight ended in a decision loss to Myktykbek Orolbai.

The welterweight division is described as crowded. In that kind of division, a fighter who loses again can quickly drop out of the conversation, while a win keeps him in view of the matchmakers.

It is unclear whether Neal has recovered from the injury that cost him the August bout, and no date has been given for an official announcement.

Source: Boxingnews.com