Waldo Cortes Acosta

"Salsa Boy"

MMA Record: 16-2-0
UFC Record: 10-2-0
Weight Class: Heavyweight (Ranked #5)
Fighting Style: Striker
Hometown: Fundacion, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Waldo Cortes Acosta "Salsa Boy" - UFC Fighter Profile

Waldo Cortes Acosta is a professional mixed martial arts fighter competing in the UFC Heavyweight division and is ranked #5. Born in Fundacion, Barahona, Dominican Republic, Waldo Cortes Acosta has compiled an MMA record of 16-2-0 with a UFC record of 10-2-0. Known for their Striker fighting style, With an ELO rating of 1140, Waldo Cortes Acosta ranks #63 out of 2646 UFC fighters. Waldo Cortes Acosta is scheduled to face Derrick Lewis at UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett on 2026-01-24.

Career Highlights: Waldo Cortes Acosta has 9 wins in the UFC. Waldo Cortes Acosta lands an average of 5.55 significant strikes per minute and averages 0.35 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Upcoming Fight

Event
UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett
Date
2026-01-24
Weight Class
Heavyweight
Waldo Cortes Acosta
ELO
1140
VS

Fight Results Breakdown

11
Total Fights

Fighter Profile

Waldo Cortes Acosta, a formidable heavyweight fighter with an impressive record of 15-2-0 (9-2-0 in UFC), is set to face Shamil Gaziev at UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker on November 22, 2025. Acosta boasts a higher ELO rating of 1118 compared to Gaziev's 1032, making him the favorite in this matchup.

Acosta's superiority is further highlighted by his striking and takedown accuracy rates: 48% strike accuracy versus Gaziev's 48%, and a more impressive 50% takedown accuracy compared to Gaziev's 30%. With a recent form of 4-1 in the last five fights, Acosta appears poised for another victory.

Betting odds are not provided, but based on the ELO difference and stats comparison, it is expected that Acosta will be favored in this matchup. The 86 ELO point advantage suggests a likely win for Acosta, making him the favorite in this upcoming fight.

Biggest Win
Opponent ELO: 1077

Physical & Background Stats

Height
6' 4'
Weight
Heavyweight
Reach
78'
Stance
Orthodox
Date of Birth
Oct 03 1991
Age
34
Peak ELO
1140
ELO Rank
63 of 2646
Strength of Schedule
227-106-2
Combined record of UFC opponents
Avg ELO of Opponents
1032.5
Avg ELO of Defeated Opponents
1017.1

Performance Statistics

SLpM
5.55
Significant Strikes Landed per Minute
Str. Acc.
48%
Significant Striking Accuracy
SApM
3.53
Significant Strikes Absorbed per Minute
Str. Def.
55%
Significant Strike Defence
TD Avg.
0.35
Average Takedowns per 15 minutes
TD Acc.
50%
Takedown Accuracy
Sub. Avg.
0.1
Average Submissions per 15 minutes

Waldo Cortes Acosta Fight History

Date Event Opponent Method Round Time Result Odds
2025-11-22 UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker Shamil Gaziev KO/TKO Punch 1 1:22 Win +114
2025-11-01 UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs. Onama Ante Delija KO/TKO Punch 1 3:59 Win -
2025-08-23 UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang Sergei Pavlovich U-DEC 3 5:00 Loss +197
2025-06-07 UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley 2 Serghei Spivac U-DEC 3 5:00 Win -
2025-03-15 UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2 Ryan Spann KO/TKO Punches 2 4:48 Win -
2024-05-11 UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Nascimento Robelis Despaigne U-DEC 3 5:00 Win -
2024-01-13 UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 Andrei Arlovski U-DEC 3 5:00 Win -
2023-08-26 UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie Lukasz Brzeski KO/TKO Punches 1 3:01 Win -
2023-04-29 UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simon Marcos Rogerio de Lima U-DEC 3 5:00 Loss -
2022-11-19 UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cutelaba Chase Sherman U-DEC 3 5:00 Win -
2022-10-29 UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Allen Jared Vanderaa U-DEC 3 5:00 Win -

ELO Progression Over Time

Waldo Cortes Acosta ELO Rating Calculation

Fight # Date Opponent Name Opponent ELO Result ELO Gained ELO
11 2025-11-22 Shamil Gaziev 1045 Win +18 1123
10 2025-11-01 Ante Delija 1026 Win +18 1105
9 2025-08-23 Sergei Pavlovich 1109 Loss -16 1087
8 2025-06-07 Serghei Spivac 1077 Win +16 1103
7 2025-03-15 Ryan Spann 1077 Win +22 1087
6 2024-05-11 Robelis Despaigne 1019 Win +15 1065
5 2024-01-13 Andrei Arlovski 1065 Win +17 1050
4 2023-08-26 Lukasz Brzeski 984 Win +20 1033
3 2023-04-29 Marcos Rogerio de Lima 1077 Loss -14 1013
2 2022-11-19 Chase Sherman 953 Win +13 1027
1 2022-10-29 Jared Vanderaa 955 Win +14 1014

Division Ranking by ELO

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GOAT Division Ranking by ELO

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