After a shoulder injury forced Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos out of a planned Strikeforce bout with fellow striker Paul “Semtex” Daley on July 30th, Daley has received a new opponent for the card. The British knockout artist will now face off against unbeaten prospect Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley.

The change in Daley’s opponent was first reported by MMAjunkie.com today and later confirmed by Strikeforce reps. Daley will look to rebound from his first-round knockout loss to Nick Diaz in April. Woodley, meanwhile, has yet to taste defeat in his career and most recently earned a victory in January.

Daley (27-10-2) will need to adjust his strategy for the July 30th card considerably, as Woodley brings a strong wrestling background and solid ground game, whereas Daley’s previous opponent, Santos, is regarded primarily as a brawler. To date, Daley has earned 20 knockout wins and he appeared to be seconds away from capturing the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship after hurting Diaz in April, but ultimately succumbed to strikes late in the first round.

Woodley (8-0-0) has fought six times for Strikeforce and has posted wins in each of those outings; including four appearances on the prospect-driven Challengers Series. The powerhouse wrestler holds five wins by submission and picked up his first knockout when he stopped André Galvão in October. Woodley has recently campaigned for a fight against a top contender and will now receive his biggest opportunity to date when he steps in to face Daley.

The 170-pound bout between Daley and Woodley will not be contested for the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship, which is reportedly vacant after champion Nick Diaz recently signed with the UFC.

Strikeforce: “Fedor vs Henderson” takes place on July 30th at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The event is headlined by a heavyweight bout between former PRIDE champions Fedor Emelianenko and Dan “Hendo” Henderson.

(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)