Uroš Medić stuns Geoff Neal with first-round knockout at UFC Houston
uroš medić landed a left hook a little over a minute into the opening round to stop Geoff Neal in the co-main at UFC Houston on Feb. 21, 2026, a finish that pushed the 32-year-old into the welterweight rankings and capped a violent Fight Night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Left hook ends co-main a little over a minute into round one
Uros Medic caught Geoff Neal with a left hook just over the one-minute mark of round one, forcing a stoppage that changed the night’s narrative at the Toyota Center. The co-main matchup opened the main card and did not reach the judges; Medic’s victory continued his professional pattern of fights ending inside the distance.
From back-to-back 63-second knockouts to a ranked welterweight
Prior to Houston, Medic had recorded back-to-back 63-second knockouts of Gilbert Urbina and Muslim Salikhov, and those quick finishes helped earn him a crack at the rankings. The 32-year-old’s latest knockout in Houston completed his breakthrough into the welterweight top 15.
Geoff Neal’s recent form, pedigree and betting lines
Neal entered the night as the division’s No. 12-ranked contender after a brutal knockout loss to Carlos Prates in his only outing of 2025 and carrying a 1-3 run dating back to 2023. He still began the matchup around a two-to-one favorite in the market, and one betting pick for the card locked in Neal to win knockout at -135.
Career trajectories and recent history for both men
Neal, nicknamed “Handz of Steel, ” has 10 career knockouts and has faced ranked and elite competition throughout his UFC run. His last reported wins included an injury TKO over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 308 and a close loss on the scorecards to Ian Machado Garry at UFC 298. By contrast, Uros Medic had not previously seen a fight go to the judges in his professional career; every one of his bouts ended inside the distance.
When step-ups have been trouble for Medic — and when they have paid off
Context in earlier matchups showed Medic had fallen short when stepping up in certain spots, while Neal’s step-ups have occasionally exposed durability questions. Medic had been finished in prior higher-level tests earlier in his path, and Neal himself had been finished by Jalin Turner, knocked out by Punahele Soriano, and submitted by Myktybek Orolbai in other bouts mentioned as part of his career arc.
Weekend Lock, a last-minute recap and what fans were asked to do
The card’s pre-fight commentary included a weekly betting feature called “Weekend Lock, ” which shared one confident bet for the Houston card and asked readers to post their own picks in the comments. A separate recap from the previous event noted that the Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. Marc-Andre Barriault fight did not end under 1. 5 rounds.
Uros Medic’s left-hook stoppage in Houston completed a violent co-main event and secured his entry into the rankings, while Geoff Neal’s slide in results and that Feb. 21, 2026 knockout now sit as the immediate storylines from the Toyota Center.
What comes next is unclear in the provided context.
