Preview: UFC 255 Prelims

WHAT A COMEBACK FROM RODRIGUEZ!! INCREDIBLE #UFCVegas7 pic.twitter.com/aheoaZTd8O

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) August 23, 2020

Welterweights

Daniel Rodriguez (13-1) vs. Nicolas Dalby (18-4-1)

ODDS: Rodriguez (-310), Dalby (+255)

It went under the radar with the crush of the UFC’s schedule, but Dalby’s return to the Octagon was a quiet highlight of 2019. His first stint with the UFC saw him come in with some high expectations, but the Dane quickly plateaued and washed out of the promotion after just four fights. After kicking issues with alcohol and depression, “Lokomotivo” managed to charge his way back into the UFC and earn a surprising win over Alex Oliveira in front of a hometown crowd in Denmark. It was a victory that showcased the durability and relentlessness that has marked the best parts of Dalby’s career, but that made his last fight even more of a down note. Faced with a late-replacement opponent in Jesse Ronson that he figured to overwhelm, Dalby surprisingly got clipped and submitted for the first finish loss of his career. It is a bit worrying, if only because Dalby’s chin had become a pillar of his more aggressive style, but he will look to assuage those concerns in his latest assignment. Rodriguez did not particularly impress in a win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019 and figured to be cannon fodder when he stepped in against Tim Means for a late-notice UFC debut in February. However, Rodriguez walked away with a shocking finish that kick-started a surprisingly successful 2020 campaign for “D-Rod,” who is now looking for his fourth victory in as many fights this year. Rodriguez is not a one-shot knockout artist, but he has proven to have some thudding power that has done him well in wars of attrition. Rodriguez is constantly ready to stand his ground and throw back whenever his opponent tries something, and that has been enough to constantly get the better of things. Dalby’s loss to Ronson does raise some concerns that he could just walk into a knockout blow again. With that said, the bet is that Dalby can successfully walk forward through danger, and if he can, he should be able to take over in the clinch and secure an ugly victory. The pick is Dalby via decision.

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