Robbie Lawler replaces Geoff Neal for UFC on August 29th; set to face Neil Magny

Former UFC Welterweight Champion, Robbie Lawler is set to make his return to the Octagon, as 'Ruthless' will cross paths with the talented Neil Magny at the UFC on August 29th card.

Neil Magny was initially scheduled to face Geoff Neal at the event. However, a recent health scare for the latter led to his hospitalization and Neal spent a week in the ICU. With Neal withdrawing from the card, Robbie Lawler has decided to step in as a replacement.

Multiple sources confirm to us that Robbie Lawler (@Ruthless_RL) is the frontrunner to replace Geoff Neal on August 29th to fight Neil Magny (@NeilMagny). #UFCVegas7

We would like to wish Geoff Neal a speedy recovery.
— MMA DNA (@MMADNANL) August 10, 2020

The new match-up was initially reported by MMA DNA, shortly after Geoff Neal took to Instagram and opened up about his health scare via a post he made on Sunday.

Neal described these past few weeks as "crazy" and wrote that he "almost died". The UFC Welterweight also added that he had to undergo treatment with a dialysis machine but has now returned home.

Here is the post made by Geoff Neal:

View this post on Instagram

These past few week have been crazy, and that's putting it lightly. It's really hard to try to find an eloquent way to say "I almost died." So screw it.. I almost died.... This really put alot of things into perspective for me. Never did I ever think I would be hooked up to a dialysis machine before my 30s. Everything was going well for me. Was training everyday, making money at work, just signed a contract for a huge fight, then BOOM, life hit me with a check hook. I'm just glad to be home after having to spend 1 week in the ICU. Stay healthy out there y'all and listen to your body at all times. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

A post shared by Geoff Neal (@handzofsteelmma) on Aug 9, 2020 at 7:20pm PDT

We wish Geoff Neal a speedy recovery and also hope that he returns to the Octagon fully recovered and at his best.

Robbie Lawler steps in on a short notice

Robbie Lawler's Octagon return against Neil Magny will be his first fight in almost a year. The last time 'Ruthless' was involved in a fight in the Octagon was against former teammate Colby Covington at UFC on ESPN 5, when he lost the bout via unanimous decision to 'Chaos'.

After that, Lawler was scheduled to fight against Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 245, but that bout was called off after it was revealed that the latter had pulled out of the fight due to staph infection.

On August 29th, Robbie Lawler will be competing in his first fight since 3rd August 2019 and will be looking to get back to winning ways against the talented Neil Magny. Lawler is currently on a three-fight losing streak, whereas Magny will be coming into the fight at the back of two successive wins.