Life inside the Octagon is unpredictable, but Neil Magny’s toughest battles haven’t all come under the bright lights. While fans know him as one of the UFC’s most seasoned welterweights, his personal life has also drawn attention in recent years. From marriage to separation, children, and even court disputes, Magny’s story stretches far beyond fight night.

At the center of it all is his ex-wife, Emily Rae Steiner. Their relationship began with romance but ended in separation, leaving questions about family, custody, and even how UFC trash talk ended up in a courtroom.

Meet Emily Rae Steiner, Neil Magny’s ex-wife

Before the world knew her as Neil Magny’s wife, Emily Rae Steiner built a career of her own. She is a professional hairdresser and makeup artist, running Emily of Johan Hair Studio in Palmer Lake, Colorado. Specializing in weddings and events, her profession is worlds apart from the intensity of MMA. Yet, for years, she stood firmly by Magny’s side.

Neil Magny and his wife met through Steiner’s sister, who was dating an associate of Magny. She insisted on the two starting a relationship. However, Steiner didn’t seem too interested in dating an athlete. Regardless, upon meeting Magny, she was immediately awestruck.

She found his personality rather friendly and shy. The two hit it off with Steiner eventually claiming that she had never quite been with someone like Magny before. After dating for several years, the two tied the knot in 2018, but eventually, they drifted apart.

Why did Neil Magny & Emily Steiner get separated?

For a while, the marriage looked unshakable. But behind the scenes, cracks began to show. After five years together, the couple separated in 2023. Although details surrounding their split remain private, it spilled into custody hearings and public debates, especially when Neil Magny’s UFC trash talk was dragged into court.

But before we get to that, let’s explore the other part of their family, their children.

Does Neil Magny have kids?

The pair was blessed with two children, Dominic and Liam Magny, who were born in 2023 and 2020, respectively. For Neil Magny, fatherhood has been both grounding and motivating. Yet it has also complicated his personal struggles, especially when the custody of his children became contested territory.

When Ian Garry’s comments were used against Magny by his ex-wife

Here’s where things get messy. UFC trash talk is usually confined to press conferences and highlight reels. But in Magny’s case, words said before a fight ended up in a courtroom.

Ahead of UFC 292, Magny exchanged heated words with rising star Ian Machado Garry. Magny, referencing fatherhood, remarked that he was used to handing out “whoopings” and promised to give Garry one in the cage. Garry twisted the remark, framing Magny as a child ab***r.

Those words didn’t just stay in the MMA world. According to Magny, his estranged wife’s legal team used them as evidence during their custody battle. 

Speaking on The MMA Hour, the UFC welterweight revealed, “To have an opponent take that lightly and make it a gimmick, and some of the things you’re saying in press conferences are being quoted in emails for my partner’s attorney to use in court, and that kind of stuff. It was just a very uneasy feeling for me.”

Magny didn’t blame Garry, saying he hoped the Irishman never had to go through something similar. Still, the episode showed how words in the fight game can carry consequences far beyond the cage. As such, Neil Magny may be focused on his next UFC test against Jake Matthews at UFC Perth, but his story proves that fighters live two battles, one under the lights and one at home.