With an extended absence from the UFC, untested mettle in a new weight class, and a formidable veteran opponent, a potential win would not come easy. To add to the burden, this wasn’t an ordinary fight— its outcome would determine his standing in the organization.

The funny thing is, it wasn’t the pressure that made Neer choke.

"I didn't think the elevation in Colorado was going to affect me," Neer said, "so I didn’t fly out early to adjust to it. Also, once I got there, I got an oxygen tent and oxygen mask and wouldn’t use them. I thought, 'Oh, I don't believe in that stuff.' It wasn’t going to make any difference. But then I got to the fight…"

Neer let out a rare laugh as he looked in hindsight. The lapse in judgment not only left him gassed after the first round, but it also gave him his first taste of post-fight sickness. He could only describe it as a miserable experience.

Yet, in spite of his admitted stubbornness, the newly minted UFC lightweight managed to survive a grueling and breathless three-round war against Din Thomas. With solid stand-up and punishing elbows, Neer won the unanimous decision and took his first major steps toward a bright future at 155 pounds.

So just what did Neer have to say about his triumphant return? Not much.

"I knew Din was going to be tough to finish,” he said, “but things went the way I thought they would."

That’s classic Neer: terse, no-BS, all business. The notoriously press-shy fighter would rather let his prolific record (24-6-1) speak for itself. True, the 25-year old has fared only moderately well in the UFC, but respect is due to Neer for consistently taking on a high level of competition.

To start, there was his 2005 debut, which ended in a disappointing first-round loss to Drew Fickett. When subsequent victories over Melvin Guillard and Joe Stevenson brought him on the verge of redemption, consecutive losses to Josh Burkman and Nick Diaz quickly followed.

With that many ups and downs in the course of a single year, Neer decided to pull back and re-strategize.

"After those last two fights, I chose to rebuild my confidence and fight in some smaller shows," he said. "I had to get some wins if I was going to come back. But I'll fight wherever, whenever, whether it's in the UFC or not. I'm never going to think that I'm too good to fight in other shows."

Such earnestness is what distinctly sets him apart from his peers. For Neer, whose only other job was a stint in construction, professional fighting – whether it’s in front of 200 or 10,000 people – is the only comprehensible career option. In fact, the Des Moines, Iowa native spent his entire UFC hiatus keeping a low profile and fighting locally, performing to little hype or fanfare.

The low-key lifestyle suited him just fine, but it wouldn’t last long. Over the next eleven months, Neer earned six first round victories with only one loss. At that rate, it was only a matter of time before ‘The Dentist’ was drawn back to the big show in search of tougher competition.

“It was great to get that call,” said Neer. “When my manager said the UFC invited me back, I really wasn’t expecting it. Of course I couldn’t say no.”

Neer’s return to the Octagon (which doubled as his lightweight debut) may have been an official success, but his future still hangs in the balance. Now, with a current UFC record of 3-3, he’s ready for his biggest challenge to date. On September 17th at UFC Fight Night in Omaha, Nebraska, he’ll take on The Ultimate Fighter 6 winner Nate Diaz in the evening’s main event. It may seem too soon to earn marquee status, said Neer, but it’s not undeserved.

“Yeah, even I’m surprised to headline,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean I’m not ready for it. I know that sometimes I show up and do well and sometimes I don't. But if you take into account all of the guys that I fought, 
every one of them was tough. I’d tell any naysayer to go back and really look at my record. If I had to say, I’m pretty sure that this fight with Nate will either get finished in the third round or go to a decision.”

Neer hopes to deliver on his prediction by sticking to his usual physical training routine. Luckily, as a member of Bettendorf, Iowa’s Team Miletich, he’s never at a loss for talented training partners.

"I pretty much train the same for every fight,” he said. “I spar with Pat [Miletich], Jens Pulver and L.C. Davis. I also work on my jiu-jitsu with Rodrigo [Uzeda], who’s a Brazilian black belt. Basically I’m always trying to improve in all areas.”

Mental clarity and perspective are also on Neer’s side. While a victory could, in some small way, make up for his 2006 submission loss to Nate’s older brother Nick, Neer prefers not to see it that way. His only goal is to deliver a pure fight against a talented opponent.

“I don’t need the drama,” he said. “It would be fine to fight someone I don’t like, but I actually do like Nate. I’ve only met him once, but I have respect for both Diaz brothers. They're tough and they come to fight each and every time. In a lot of ways we’re a lot alike. We’re not big media guys. We’re not in it to be in magazines; we’re not in it for the fame. We’re fighters. We want to fight the best guys and test ourselves.”

Okay, so there won’t be bad blood, or the prospect of an emotionally charged grudge match. Neer still has plenty of reasons to keep himself motivated, and MMA fans will still have plenty of reasons to watch.

“I think it’s enough that the winner is going to take a step forward and the loser will take a step backwards,” said Neer. “Plus, it’ll just feel good to fight close to my hometown, where I’ll have a lot of friends and family there to support me.”

He pauses, and then sums things up in his typical pithy fashion.

“It’ll be a good time.”