Orion Cosce Injured, Nicolas Dalby to Clash With Daniel Rodriguez at UFC 255

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On Monday I was told my original opponent was out with an injury . On Wednesday I received word that I will get to fight Daniel Rodriguez instead, who is a better ranked and more experienced fighter... what’s not to like?! Christmas looks to be coming early this year. And I need to give a big thank you to @graham_boylan at @intensitifm, @seanshelby and @ufc for sorting out a new opponent so fast! #LokomotivoDalby #UFC255 #ChooChooMofos

A post shared by Nicolas “Lokomotivo” Dalby (@dalbymma) on Nov 12, 2020 at 9:49am PST

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The double debut of the deadly Cosce duo has been disappointingly delayed.

On Thursday morning, Denmark’s Nicolas Dalby (18-4-1, 1 NC) posted on social media that he wouldn't be facing Orion Cosce (7-0) anymore, as “Galaxy” suffered an undisclosed injury. Instead, “Lokomotivo” will lock horns with Daniel Rodriguez (13-1) at UFC 255, on Nov. 21 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Cosce was looking to make his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut alongside brother Louis Cosce, as the latter is taking on newcomer Sasha Palatnikov.

“On Monday I was told my original opponent was out with an injury,” Dalby wrote. “On Wednesday I received word that I will get to fight Daniel Rodriguez instead, who is a better ranked and more experienced fighter... what’s not to like?! Christmas looks to be coming early this year.”

Former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder Dalby is looking to bounce back after suffering a first-round defeat via rear-naked choke by the hands of Jesse Ronson. Prior to the setback, he returned to the UFC to hand Alex Oliveira a decision loss at UFC Fight Night 160.

Rodriguez is currently riding an impressive nine-bout winning streak. Under the UFC banner, the former Smash Global 170-pound champion gathered a submission victory over Tim Means and a decision victory over Gabriel Green at UFC Fight Night 167 and UFC on ESPN 9, respectively. The last time "D-Rod" stepped into the cage, he flattened Dwight Grant with strikes at the 2:24 mark of the first stanza in their UFC on ESPN 15 encounter.

UFC 255 will go down at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 21. In the main event, the 125-pound kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo will put his belt on the line against Alex Perez. The co-main event will feature a title tilt in the women’s flyweight division as defending champion Valentina Shevchenko meets Jennifer Maia.