Bryan Barberena has been denied a fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC Vegas 67

After a rollercoaster couple of days regarding Shavkat Rakhmonov's scheduled bout on January 14, the UFC has decided to reject Bryan Barberena. Barbarena was the only man who publicly stepped up to compete, leaving further question marks on the fight.

Initially, the undefeated prospect was preparing to step into the cage and face off against the heavy-hitting Geoff Neal, but that matchup was scrapped when the Texan was injured in the build-up. It is unclear as to what the UFC wants to do going forward. This is unfortunate for 'Bam Bam' as he was open to the clash.

In a post on Instagram, Bryan Barberena announced that the promotion had rejected his proposal and would instead look elsewhere. This is despite both himself and Shavkat Rakhmonov wanting the fight to go ahead.

"I have been informed that I will not get the fight with Shavkat. I know I don't deserve it, especially after my last showing, but I've had 2 other great showings this year and every fight you go into is different. I know I'm a very dangerous individual and I truly believe I can beat Shavkat and give the fans a fight they want to see. But it's completely up to the UFC if the fight happens... No one wants to fight Shavkat, but I'm willing to step in on short notice and we both agreed to meet January 14th... Respect for Shavkat for agreeing on the fight."

Last time out, the 33-year-old saw his impressive three-fight win streak come to an end at the hands of Rafael dos Anjos. The Brazilian managed to lock up a submission midway through the second round during the very impressive UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Holland card earlier this month.

---

Who do the fans want Shavkat Rakhmonov to fight?

With Shavkat Rakhmonov's opponent having just two weeks to step in and face him, it will likely be a tough task to find a willing competitor. Fans have made their thoughts known and given their ideal replacement.

The man a number of supporters are targeting to replace the injured Geoff Neal is none other than Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev is a fellow unbeaten European who is capable of dominating wherever the fight takes place, similar to the Kazakhstani.

Like Rakhmonov, 'Borz' has struggled to find potential matchups. MMA fans believe it makes perfect sense for the two rising stars to be pitted against one another given the circumstances.