Geoff Neal is ready to take the next big step in his career, and he already has his eyes on a few names.

Neal said he believes the UFC likely will match him up with the winner of the Vicente Luque vs. Mike Perry fight, which takes place Aug. 10 at UFC on ESPN+ 14 in Montevideo, Uruguay.

“Another fight I’m keeping my eye on is Vicente Luque vs. Mike Perry,” Neal told MMA Junkie Radio (go to the 1:22:14 mark in the video above). “I feel like whoever wins that one, they’ll throw the winner against me. So we’ll see what happens with that.”

Neal also is looking at Colby Covington vs. Robbie Lawler, which headlines UFC on ESPN 5 on Saturday in Newark, N.J. While those are bigger and more established names, Neal isn’t ruling out the possibility of fighting Lawler.

“I’ll watch the Covington-Lawler one because I feel like if Lawler does lose, I might be able to pick up that fight against him,” Neal said. “And that’s a good fight for me as far as getting my name out there because Lawler is a ‘G.’ He’s like a legend – everyone knows him.”

Neal (12-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is coming off a second-round TKO over Niko Price at UFC 240. The win earned him a “Performance of the Night” bonus. Fight after fight, he is earning respect from his peers.

“Since the first three fights, I knew I was the outsider,” Neal said. “Fighters wouldn’t even acknowledge me. I was just there. But I felt like I was able to prove myself after the Belal (Muhammad) fight. Going into this fight at UFC 240, a lot more fighters were coming up to me, talking to me. I think I earned my spot.”

As expected, he engaged in a thrilling contest with Price, an opponent he said he had respect for coming into the fight. With four wins in the division, Neal hopes with a few more, he can make a run for the title by next year.

“That’s what I have envisioned in my head: two more big win, then 2020, try to make that run for the belt,” Neal said.