Waldo Cortes-Acosta is set for the biggest test of his UFC career this Saturday at UFC Vegas 110, when he meets former PFL heavyweight champion Ante Delija in a pivotal matchup with real stakes in the division.
For Cortes-Acosta, it’s not just any fight. It’s a chance to prove he’s one of the heavyweight elite and derail a former champion hungry to make an impact in the UFC.
“I have a lot of ideas about how I can be in the future. To develop a little more in the Octagon, to be better and prepare myself better to be ready to counterattack and always hit back when something happens,” Cortes-Acosta told reporters on Wednesday.
Cortes Acosta (14-2) has spent most of his UFC career competing at the APEX, and “Salsa Boy” says the familiar environment feels like home.
“I consider this my home. I feel comfortable every time, my family is close to me in Arixona, I have a lot of friends here in Vegas. I can spend time with those people before and after the fight,” he said.
Cortes-Acosta has studied Delija’s career from afar, long before their names ever appeared on a battle poster. Now that they are about to collide, he sees this confrontation as an opportunity to defend his turf and make a statement on familiar territory.
“I feel good because I saw Delija a long time ago before I started in professional MMA. I follow a lot of tips that he did before in the Octagon. But this is my territory now, this is my city, this is my home. I need my home to protect my legacy. I have to protect my level now. and it will be a war next Saturday,” said Cortes-Acosta.
His opponent will train with current UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall on Saturday. Aspinall’s title defense at UFC 321 against Ciryl Gane was ruled a no-contest after the champion suffered an eye poke from which he was unable to recover.
“Delija is a training partner of the champion that people here love, Tom Aspinall. And we saw him in the Octagon on Saturday and everything happened. I want to be ready for the title shot for him,” Cortes-Acosta said.
“I see Tom Aspinall as a different fighter, I don’t think he was ready for that fight that day. I see Ciryl Gane differently, Aspinall bleeds a lot in the first minute. Anyone who gets poked in the eye in the first round doesn’t want to move forward and doesn’t even want to give the other person the chance to give him the belt because he poked him in the eye.”
With Aspinall’s no-contest result still causing debate among fans, Cortes-Acosta was asked for his thoughts on the unusual ending. The heavyweight did not hesitate to defend the champion and point out the reality of the sport.
“Every situation is not intentional. You have an open glove, and if you try to protect yourself, your reaction will be to open your hand. I know some people say Tom Aspinall doesn’t want to fight, he has every right to say no. Just do a rematch and come back better,” he said.
“Any glove can sting your eyes, you just have to pay more attention to what you’re doing.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Waldo Cortes-Acosta above. He faces Ante Delija on Saturday night at UFC Vegas 110.
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