Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Geoff Neal has been rebooked for UFC 285

The long-awaited fight involving UFC welterweight prospects Shavkat Rakhmonov, and Geoff Neal has been rescheduled.

The co-main event of UFC Vegas 67 was meant to feature the top ten welterweights. The MMA fanbase will sadly have to wait a bit more to watch two top 170-pound competitors square off. The fight between Neal and Rakhmonov, which was originally scheduled for Jan. 14 but was dismissed due to Neal's injury, will now actually occur at UFC 285, which unfolds on March 4, 2023, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

This is especially exciting for both combatants, who will begin the 2023 campaign on winning streaks and with goals of competing for the welterweight title. Brett Okamoto, an ESPN MMA reporter, announced the news on Twitter by writing:

On January 14, Kelvin Gastelum and Nassourdine Imavov will feature UFC Vegas 67 main event which would be the first UFC event of 2023. Now, a featherweight fight between Dan Ige and Damon Jackson will serve as the co-main event.

The UFC 285 pay-per-view presently lacks a main event, however, the clash between the rising welterweight now joins the main card which already consists of the fight Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis as well as Viviane Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas.

Neal recently defeated Vicente Luque and Santiago Ponzinibbio in back-to-back matches. After defeating Ponzinibbio by a razor-thin margin of a split decision in December 2021, Neal finished off his sole performance in 2022 with a decisive knockout of Vicente Luque at UFC Vegas 59. He also defeated Belal Muhammad, Niko Price, and Mike Perry in significant UFC contests. He currently holds a record of 15-4 in MMA which includes his notable victories against Belal Muhammad, Niko Price, and Mike Perry in significant UFC contests.

Rakhmonov is recognized as being among the top up-and-coming fighters in the welterweight bracket. He and his team have complained that it is difficult to discover opponents as a consequence. In 16 professional fights, which include four UFC outings in which neither his opponents advanced past the second round, he remains undefeated. The Kazakh contestant most recently overcame seasoned Neil Magny in June by submission.