Neely started his martial arts journey in 1993 then received his black belt in Taekwondo in 1996. Neely competed numerous times at the national level for the World Taekwondo Federation. Neely also officiated many Taekwondo tournaments. He then moved on to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1998 where he has competed numerous times in BJJ.
In 2001 Neely opened his own mixed martial arts academy East Tennessee Mixed Martial Arts (ETMMA.) Neely enjoyed training fighters and was a veteran fighter himself. He coached over 80 fights throughout his coaching career. When he retired from fighting, he sold his school and transitioned to officiating MMA iN 2006.
Neely has been assigned as a judge, timekeeper, and referee for over 13 years consistently. He has also served as the lead sanctioning rep over multiple events throughout the southeast. His officiating resume boasts over 2,500 bouts and includes earning his role as a Referee for the UFC and many top promotions nationwide.
