UFC Fight Night 265: Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Shamil Gaziev Preview & Prediction
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
Waldo Cortes-Acosta steps in on short notice to take on Shamil Gaziev at heavyweight, with a potential title shot at stake for "Salsa Boy."
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Shamil Gaziev facts
What time are Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Shamil Gaziev expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker? Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena, Al Rayyan, Qatar
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 265: Tsarukyan vs Hooker main card
Arman Tsarukyan vs Dan Hooker (Lightweight)
Belal Muhammad vs Ian Machado Garry (Welterweight)
Volkan Oezdemir vs Alonzo Menifield (Light Heavyweight)
Jack Hermansson vs Myktybek Orolbai (Welterweight)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Shamil Gaziev (Heavyweight)
Tagir Ulanbekov vs Kyoji Horiguchi (Flyweight)
UFC Fight Night 265: Tsarukyan vs Hooker prelims
Bogdan Grad vs Luke Riley (Featherweight)
Nicolas Dalby vs Saygid Izagakhmaev (Welterweight)
Alex Perez vs Asu Almabayev (Flyweight)
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev vs Rafael Cerqueira (Light Heavyweight)
Bekzat Almakhan vs Aleksandre Topuria (Bantamweight)
Ismail Naurdiev vs Ryan Loder (Middleweight)
Nurullo Aliev vs Shaqueme Rock (Lightweight)
Marek Bujlo vs Denzel Freeman (Heavyweight)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta: "Salsa Boy" steps in to save the fight on short notice
Waldo Cortes-Acosta (15-2) steps in at the eleventh hour to save this match up after Serghei Spivac pulled out at the last minute, marking the third time that a bout between "The Polar Bear" and Gaziev has fallen through. Returning after a controversial victory over Ante Delija last than a month ago, "Salsa Boy" was seemingly TKO'd in that contest. However, the replay revealed that "Walking Trouble" had poked Cortes-Acosta in the eyes in the process, only for "Salsa Boy" to flatten Delija in return almost instantly after the fight was restarted. A volume striker with elusive movement for heavyweight, Cortes-Acosta looks to maintain his momentum and banish the memories of his most recent setback, a decision defeat to Sergei Pavlovich in August.
Shamil Gaziev: Can the Bahraini bruiser score a massive jump up in the rankings?
While he may have become somewhat of a meme throughout his UFC tenure, it's hard to deny the success that Shamil Gaziev (14-1) has had since joining the promotion. The DWCS series graduate is undefeated outside of a TKO setback to Jairzinho Rozenstruik where he gassed out badly, and Gaziev appears to have leveled up his game after learning a valuable lesson in that loss. Having previously turned in wins over Martin Buday and Don'Tale Mayes, the towering Bahraini enters this contest off the back of his finest UFC performance to date, scoring a highlight reel one-punch KO over Thomas Peterson in February.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Shamil Gaziev prediction
Gaziev would have been the pick had Spivac remained his original opponent, but it's hard to see how he wins here.
Cortes-Acosta is hardly prime Francis Ngannou, but he does appear to be a clear step above the lower portions of the heavyweight rankings. Posting a UFC record of 8-2, he's only ever lost twice in the promotion, coming up short to Marcos Rogerio de Lima and the aforementioned Pavlovich by decision. The de Lima loss was a forgivable blip in the early stages of his career, and while Pavlovich has undoubtedly declined since his defeat to Tom Aspinall, he's still a physical powerhouse and one of the most dangerous contenders that the division has to offer.
Simply put, a KO victory over Thomas Peterson isn't enough to convince me that Gaziev fits either of those descriptors. While the Bahraini is an enormous heavyweight at 6'4, he's not exactly an athletic specimen; there's a reason that he's been affectionately dubbed "The Blob" by larges swathes of the MMA fandom. He's clearly got knockout power, but he's also not typically proven to be a "knock you dead with one shot" type of striker.
Cortes-Acosta sticks, pokes, and emotes at range, staying on the outside to win a striking battle across three rounds to likely secure the next title shot at heavyweight.
Prediction: Waldo Cortes-Acosta to win
